


Transformers: War for Cybertron

by LegendofthePhoenix



Series: Infinity Avengers [2]
Category: Transformers - All Media Types, Transformers Generation One, Transformers: Shattered Glass
Genre: Gen, Orion Pax/Optimus Prime and Nightshade (OC) are siblings, Pre-Earth Transformers, Prowl and Barricade and Bluestreak are brothers, Slight AU from Transformers G1
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-12-07
Updated: 2020-12-27
Packaged: 2021-03-09 20:06:54
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 11
Words: 32,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27941990
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LegendofthePhoenix/pseuds/LegendofthePhoenix
Summary: Civil war has divided Cybertron.
Relationships: Chromia/Ironhide, Elita One/Optimus Prime, Orion Pax and Ariel
Series: Infinity Avengers [2]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1273976
Kudos: 5





	1. chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> So I have decided to post this story here on along with on Fanfiction.net. There will be some things from other "Transformers" universes but it will really take place in G1.

“Megatron! Megatron!” the crowd cheered all around him.

Gladiator and rising star of the Pits of Kaon, Megatron looked at all the Mechs and Femmes who had gathered to see him fighting in his latest fight. The Cybertronians who had came to see him fighting where those of Cybertron who didn’t need to worry about where their next Energon was coming from. They had plenty of Credits that they could pay for lavish things. Unlike the Mechs and Femmes that they were there to see fight each other or the giant mechabeasts. Megatron snarled as he thought of the hard life that he had. First he was a miner in the Energon Mines under Kaon. Then he managed to get a slightly better life when he came into the spotlight of the gladiator fights. He was know a household name in Kaon.

Megatron raised both of his hands in the air. The screaming from the stands got louder as he basked in their glory. Megatron had gained a following in the crowd. They loved him. They always wanted to see him fight whatever big beast the organisers could find for him to fight. It was either that or another Mech who he had gotten to known in the Pits. That was dangerous to make friends with the other Gladiators in the Pit. They didn’t know when they were going to be forced to fight against each other for the entertainment of others.

“My fellow Cybertronians for far too long we have been living in separate worlds. It is time to end the slavery that has destroyed our world! There was once a time when all of Cybertron stood together!” he shouted to everyone. He spun around as he looked at all the Cybertronians in the stands along with the other gladiators and slaves. His red optics were bright as he spoke what had been on his mind for many vorns. He had seen the worst that Cybertron had to offer in the mines and then in the Pits of Kaon. He had seen the inequality that his people had been forced to face under the Autobot Council lead by Sentinel Prime. The Prime didn’t care for Cybertron, only himself. “It is time that we end the corruption in the government and bring about a new age for our people! One where Decepticons and Autobots are equal!” he shouted to the crowd.

The crowd that had come to see Energon being spilt in the arena had stopped cheering and where staring at Megatron. Different coloured optics could only stare at the gun-grey Mech that only a moments ago had been fighting a monster for their entertainment. Whispers spread about all the Cybertronians as they took in what Megatron had just said to them. There was a lot of them who agreed with what he was saying. Soon the whispers became shouts and once again Megatron’s name was being called out.

“Megatron! Megatron!”

Megatron smiled and looked into the stands. There in the stand was one Mech he had been looking for. The Mech was much smaller than Megatron, he didn’t need to have a big built like the gladiator. He did do a look work in the docks and he was even beginning to be trained under Alpha Trion in hopes of getting out of the docks. Orion Pax had been a friend to Megatron outside of the gladiator pits. The young dock worker was naïve when compared to the battle hardened Megatron, but he shared the same views as each other. Orion Pax had come to Megatron after hearing about his first fight when he had called out against the government and the Prime.  
Orion Pax made his way through the crowd as the spectarors left the stands. They didn’t mind the smaller Mech as he made his way past them. He didn’t carry any weapons at all, it was something that he didn’t need in his line of work. Being a dock worker he was in and off ships a lot of the day and was always around Energon when it was brought into Iacon. He had found that carrying a weapon, even a small one would only cause problems. He was good at talking to people and keeping them calm. That was why he and Megatron got on so well. The Gladiator knew what he wanted to say, but it was the way that he spoke that was causing problems within the Senate espically with the Prime who was not liking the fact that he was being challenged by a Decepticon who had spend time in the mines.

The red and blue Mech made it to the meeting spot to see Megatron there. The large gun-grey Mech was joined by Soundwave and Barricade, two other gladiators who supported them. “Orion I thought you wouldn’t make it today!” Megatron greeted Orion Pax when he joined him.

“No I managed to get away from work. Ariel is covering for me back at the docks!” Orion Pax told Megatron. He had to crane his neck upwards to look up at the tall Mechs who toward above him. Even Barricade who was a Paraxian was taller than Orion Pax. “But things are getting worst. The Enforcers are being send to my work because they know of my involvement with you and your ideas!” Orion Pax told Megatron.

Megatron looked at the smaller Mech. The Mech who was an Autobot but he was not like any other Autobot that Megatron had to deal with over the years. He cared about all Cybertronians and didn’t care if they Autobot or Decepticon. Orion like him wanted to see the old ways gone and replaced with a much more fairer Cybertron. One where Mechs and Femmes had the same chance as each other. “Orion I am sorry for causing you any problems that you are facing from the Enforcers!” Megatron said to Orion Pax.

Orion Pax vented air through his vents as looked away from Megatron. “It just shows you Megatron. Sentinel Prime has heard us and is worried about us causing him problems!” Orion told Megatron, “I may not be a fighter like you or the other gladiators, but I am willing to keep standing up for what I believe in. A Cybertron where there is no more slaves and everyone is equal!” he finished saying to Megatron.

Megatron smiled at what Orion Pax had said to him. “Thank you, Orion Pax,! You are a true friend!” Megatron said as he placed a black hand on Orion’s shoulder.  
“Don’t mention it, Megatron. I will go and speak with Alpha Trion. Hopefully he can help us get an audience with the Council and we can take this to them. Hopefully there are Mechs there who support us!” Orion told Megatron.

Megatron was once again thankful for the small Mech who had been helping him spread his ideas across Cybertron. There was many Cybertronians who agreed with them and supported their ideas of an equal Cybertron. However there was others who didn’t like that view and were trying to stop any changes from happening. The Prime was one of them. He was doing everything he could to keep them silent and even included sending Enforcers and thugs to Orion’s place of work at the docks. Orion was not a fighter, but he still managed to protect himself and the Energon he worked with every time there was an attack on the docks.

“Don’t be to sure of that Orion!” Megatron told Orion Pax.

They ended their conversation and Orion Pax left the arena. Megatron watched Orion Pax leave the arena. He was allowed to leave the arena know but he decided to stay behind. He would leave when Orion Pax was able to get a meeting with the Council. He could only hope that Alpha Trion was sympathetic to their cause.


	2. Chapter 2: The Iacon Hall of Records and Alpha Trion

Orion Pax transformed at the bottom of the stairs of the Iacon Hall of Records. It had been a long drive from Kaon on one side of Cybertron to Iacon on the other side of Cybertron. He didn’t mind the drive between the two city states, it allowed him to think on what he was going to say to Alpha Trion. He knew that the old Mech agreed with what he and Megatron wanted to do, but the old Mech was fearful. He had been around when the Quintessons had enslaved their people and then during the revolution that saw them being freed from their slavers. Between that and present day Cybertron he had seen many wars that had torn Cybertron a part from the inside. Orion could only agree with the fear that Alpha Trion was feeling. 

He didn’t want to see a war being raged between them and the Prime’s forces, but that seemed to be where they were heading. Sentinel Prime was arrogant with his position as the Prime of Cybertron. He used his position to his benefit rather than the benefit of all of Cybertron like the Primes of old had done. The same could be said for the Autobot Council. The only Mech who was on the Council that was trying his hardest to make Cybertron be equal was Ultra Magnus. He was a Mech that Orion and Megatron needed to get on their side. Hopefully with a meeting with the Autobot Council they could get more Mechs on their side and the government could make the changes that where needed to make Cybertron be the planet that he and Megatron wanted. 

Orion Pax looked at the golden staircase that lead up to Iacon Hall of Records. There was many Mechs and Femmes about this area. All of them had no problems with their lives. They had plenty of Credits to buy Energon so they never had energy problems. Not like the Decepticons in Kaon and the other Decepticon cities of Cybertron. These Cybertronians also had the Credits needed to go to the best Universities in Cybertron, mainly the ones in Iacon and Parxus. Orion felt his Spark churn at the thought of the poor Cybertronians who couldn’t do anything to better their lives like the rich could.

He may have been a simple dock worker like his girlfriend Ariel, but he had been spending more time at the Iacon Hall of Records that he was seeing more problems with the system. The system that had been in place when the Autobots won the last war against the Decepticons after they were freed from the Quintessons. The time that he had spend in the Hall of Records he had been with Alpha Trion who had taken him under his wing to better read everything that the Hall had to offer them.

Walking up the stairs he passed all the Autobots who had made Iacon their home. Younglings and Sparklings played with each other as their creators talked with their friends. There was a few Decepticons but the Autobots where keeping their distance from them. This may have been the Golden Age of Cybertron, but only the Autobots where reaping the benefits of it. That was something that Orion Pax a dock worker of Iacon wanted to change. He wanted all Cybertronians to be equal.

Finally coming up to the doors that were always opened for those who wanted to look to the past, he walked in. He was not the smallest Mech in the Hall of Records. There was a few Minibots walking around with a few Seekers who acted as Defenders for Alpha Trion. They were the only Decepticons that the Autobots seemed to tolerate, even though they bragged a lot about their flying skills. Orion kept to himself as he walked through the busy corridors of the Hall of Records. He watched as many of the Nobles sneered down at him. They knew who he was. They knew that he was just a dock worker, who should be at the docks rather than in the Hall of Records. They also knew that he supported Megatron and his ideas of making Cybertron equal. That was something that those Cybertronians didn’t want to change. They made a lot of Credits out of the Decepticons, mainly in Kaon where the Energon mines where located.

Finally after ten minutes of hearing whispers behind his back and feeling optics staring at him, Orion Pax made it to the private quarters of Alpha Trion. The old Mech stayed at the Hall of Records all the time. He had told Orion as the head archivist, it was his duty to note down everything that was happening on Cybertron. Too bad it was only what Sentinel Prime wanted. He saw the Golden Age of Cybertron as the Age of the Autobots. That was what was causing many problems with more of the Decepticons joining Megatron or doing something even more drastic rather than holding speeches. These groups where making it hard for them to make the Prime and the Council listen to what they had to say.

Orion Pax entered the private chambers of Alpha Trion. The much larger Mech was standing at the large window that over looked Iacon. He had his hands behind his back as his blue optics looked over the city that he had called home for many centuries. 

“Orion so glad that you could join me today!” Alpha Trion said to the smaller Mech. He was still looking out of the window. Outside a group of Seekers flew past their loud afterburners could be heard even when they were out of sight. “I have heard that Megatron was once again victorious in the Pits of Kaon. He is gaining quite a following!” he continued to speak to the small dock worker.

Orion walked away from the door that had closed and cut him off from the outside world. He kept walking until he was standing behind Alpha Trion. “Yeah, he is doing well in the Pits, but that is not what he wants to do. He wants all the suffering to end for all the slaves that Sentinel Prime doesn’t care for in the Pits and down in the mines!” Orion responded to Alpha Trion.

Alpha Trion vented air through his vents as he turned around to face Orion Pax. The young dock worker had become a sort of apprentice to him in his spare time when he was not working on the docks or helping Megatron. He had been helping him in the archives for a good year now and had read a lot of the files that was in the Hall of Records. “I know that you are concerned that there is a war going to break out, Orion. I have seen you talk with Ultra Magnus, a noble Mech!” Alpha Trion said looking at Orion.

“He may be the only way that we can get the rest of the Council on our side and to talk to the Prime. Only they can help us in making the changes that Cybertron needs to survive without a war brewing!” Orion Pax said to Alpha Trion.

The old Mech studied Orion much closer. “You are not a politician, Orion Pax yet you are doing more politics than any other Mech. You are going between the Autobots and Decepticons in trying to make changes. Do you know how dangerous this is?” Alpha Trion asked. He had seen how paranoid Prime had been getting over the recent few months with Megatron gaining more support and also the pressure that Orion was putting on him for getting a meeting between him and Megatron. There was also the small terrorist groups that were attacking Autobot nobles and demanding that they make changes. All of this would go back to Orion Pax, who was not a fighter but a dock worker who could not defend himself. Not from the Enforcers that Sentinel Prime send his way. 

“I have read to many of the records here Alpha Trion to see the damage that has been done to our society. If we don’t make the changes and soon there will be civil war. A war that could result in millions being killed! We need to make changes when there is peace on Cybertron and the colony planets!” Orion Pax told Alpha Trion. His optics looked past the older Mech and out to Iacon that was just beyond the glass. “I know the risk. I know that there are Autobots who don’t want to see the changes that we are talking about. From ending slavery to the Gladiator fights in the Pit. I know that the thugs that have attacked me are being send by the Prime himself to deter me from helping Megatron, but I will stand by the need to help him!” he finished explaining to Alpha Trion.

Alpha Trion once again vented air through his vents. He looked back out to the city that he had called home after he had lead their people against the Quintessons. “Very well! Inform Megatron that the Council had agreed to talk with him and you. They wont talk to him unless you are present since you have been playing a big part in his movement. The meeting is tomorrow in the Council Building at midday! Don’t be late, Orion or the meeting wont be held!” he told Orion Pax.

Orion couldn’t help but smile. He had been trying to get a meeting with the Autobot council for some time now, and here was Alpha Trion he just approached them last week. Now they had a meeting with the leaders of their world who could help them in getting the Prime to make the changes that was needed for Cybertron to thrive for another thousand years.

“I will tell Megatron right away! And thank you once again Alpha Trion!” Orion Pax said. He bowed his helm in respect and thanks to old Mech. He turned around and was walking back to the door.

“And Orion?!” he heard Alpha Trion say behind him. Turning around he saw that Alpha Trion was looking at him worry in his blue optics. “Watch yourselves. Politics can do many things to a Mechs mind! Just like power!” was what Alpha Trion told him before looking back out of the window.

Orion took that as his cue to leave Alpha Trion’s private chambers. Once again he found himself being stared at by the Autobots who had been in the Hall of Records. They all went about their business once they had given Orion Pax a good stare at. They didn’t want to have an angry Gladiator coming after them when word got out that they had threatened the dock worker.

//Orion? Orion are you back in Iacon?// came a voice in Orion’s communicator.

//Ariel I have just got back to Iacon. I was talking with Alpha Trion there. What’s the matter?// he asked his girlfriend. At the start of this she had supported his work with Megatron but as the attacks from the thugs got worse and worse she started to lose her conviction. She was scared for them and he couldn’t blame her for that. Mechs in power hated change and they would do anything to keep the system their way.

//The thugs are back and this time there is more of them. They are demanding to speak to you. You better get here fast!// came Ariel’s response came.

Orion feeling his Spark turn cold ran out of the Iacon Hall of Records. He pushed past a group of Minibots who shouted at him to slow down. Ignoring their angry shouts he kept running out of the Hall of Records. Bounding down the stairs outside the building he transformed into his vehicle mode and raced back towards the dock. The thugs had not yet attacked Ariel, but there was always a first for these things. They were only getting paid to go after him since he had connections with Megatron and his ideas of changing Cybertron.


	3. chapter 3: The Thugs at the Docks

Orion Pax raced back to the docks where he and Ariel worked. His engine revved as he drove through the busy traffic that was a common thing to see in Iacon. The capital city of Iacon was always busy. Trade with the other city states meant that Mechs were coming and going all the time. This was one of the few times that he hated that living in Iacon. It was also the gangs and thugs that operated within the large city state. They had enough credits to remain under the radar of the Enforcers. 

Managing to somehow get through the traffic he found himself at the docks. The docks that saw Energon coming all over Cybertron to Iacon. Cargo freighters were large ships and it took every Mech both of the ships and on the land to bring them safely. There was always the danger of running aground or being hijacked by one of the many crime lords who had liars in Iacon. It may have been the Golden Age for many of Cybertron’s inhabitants, but there was many Mechs who were struggling. Some of them were exploited in either the mines, the Pits of Kaon like Megatronus or by other means. Then there was those who took profit because of this.

He had once been blind to the poverty that was happening all around him. He had been distracted by everything that was all around him. He had always been in a sheltered life growing up under the care of Alpha Trion and his adoptive sister who had left Cybertron as soon as she could. She could never stay still when they were both young. Then Alpha Trion had made him get a part time job at the docks. He didn’t know why Alpha Trion had suddenly made him get a work at the docks when he first said about it. Now he was beginning to see why the old archivist had done this. He had been blind to what was happening deeper within Cybertron’s society until he started working at the docks. Dock working was hard, not as hard as what Megatronus was doing in the Pits.

Orion came to the warehouse at the docks. It was the largest warehouse there. It was where they stored all the Energon that was brought into their dock. It also acted as their office. It was at the warehouse that either he or Ariel meet up with the clients who were bringing in Energon or anything else from the other city states. There had been too many times in the past few months that he had seen the crime lords in action. He had already been paid off not to say anything about the Femmes and younglings that had been smuggled into Iacon from wherever they had come from. He of course had reported them to the Enforcers who done their job. 

He transformed back into his root mode and was meet by a large mech. The mech was much taller than him. So much taller than him that he was looking up at the Mech. He was a ground pounder like him, but he couldn’t tell what his alternative mode was.

“Why is it always you that is getting into trouble, Pax?” grumbled the mech as he grabbed Orion’s shoulder and shoved him back into the warehouse. The massive entrance of the warehouse was opened and allowed both Mechs to enter it.  
Inside the warehouse was a group of Mechs that Orion had gotten to know in recent months. With them was Ariel. The small pink Femme stood between two of the thugs. She was being held by two of them. A small dripple of Energon was running down from her mouth that caused worry from Orion as he also saw scratch marks elsewhere on her body. He spotted on the thugs that a few of them also had scratch marks on their arms. One of the thugs who was holding Ariel was also missing an optic. Ariel may have been small, but she was able to defend herself from Mechs like them.

“Ah Orion! I see that you have gotten back from speaking to the Mech who wants to disrupt everything that has made Cybertron Great!” declared the largest Mech of the group. He was a Paraxian with the doorwings coming off from his back. His black and red plating had many scratches on them, many of them were much older. His yellow optics bore right into Orion as he toward above the younger and smaller Mech. “Now I am going to get to the matter at hand! I do hope you don’t take all the threats and beatings as personal, Orion Pax. We are mainly doing what we are paid to do!” the Mech said in a calm voice.

Behind him the other Mechs who were a part of his gang chuckled.

“Look I do understand. I know we all have a job. Me and Ariel work here in the docks along with the others and I know that you get paid to be either bodyguards or pardon me,l thugs!” Orion responded back to the leader of the thugs. He stepped back when one of them was about to charge for him, but was stopped before he got to him.

The leader of the thugs glared at the angry Mech. The Mech who was so angry that he was vibrating and ready to punch Orion in the faceplate. “But boss, isn’t that why we are here?” asked the angry Mech. He glared at his boss before he glared back at Orion Pax who despite all the threats that he already had gotten he stepped back.

“Enough!” the boss snapped at the flunky before he looked back towards Orion. “We are being civil! After all, what would the bosses think that the best port in all of Iacon was no longer allowing them to have access to their Energon and goods from the other City States!” he said as he kept looking at Orion Pax.

“Now this is your last warning, or we do more to your girlfriend other than scratching her? Stop supporting Megatronus! He will bring nothing but disorder and anarchy to our world! Not only will the owners of the mines and gladiator pits be affected, but it will also be Mechs like you and me who are affected if Megatronus gets his way!” the leader said to Orion.

Orion watched as the leader of the thugs nodded his helm towards the two thugs who where holding Ariel back. They both released her. They had both expected her to run right to Orion, but she didn’t do that. Instead she turned around and kicked one of them in the knee. Then she used her small frame and speed to get away from the thugs and run back to Orion. Orion placed himself between her and them.

“Do you understand what is being asked of you? Stop helping the gladiator or else!” warned the thug leader. He walked then walked past Orion and Ariel. His yellow optics glared down at them as he walked past them. He was followed by the rest of his gang.

The Mech who was angry at him stopped before him. “The next time we meet bookworm, I am going to rearrange your faceplate!” he warned before he to stomped out of the warehouse.

Orion found himself relaxing once the thugs had left the warehouse and he had heard them transforming into their alternative modes. The next he heard was their engines revving and leaving the docks. He felt his shoulders relax as he knew that they were safe. At least for now. He would need to get in touch with Megatronus and tell him that he needed to keep low until the heat was off of him and Ariel. The threats were still threats, but he knew that sooner or later there will be violence that goes along with those words. 

“Orion Pax, we need to talk! We really need to have a long talk!” spoke up Ariel bringing his attention back to her.

Orion looked at her and it was at this moment he wished that he was either in the Pits of Kaon fighting Megatron or had fought against those thugs. He was sure that he would survive both of them, but an angry Ariel. That was something else altogether. He would never put any Mech in against Ariel. She may have been small and may have been pink, but she was just as fierce as the gladiators in the Pits. The glare that he was getting from her, he already knew about the talk that she was going to give him.

“Ariel, I know what you are going to say! But this just proves that we are hitting nerves with the right people. The Prime knows he is corrupt. Its just a matter of time before the rest of Cybertron fell the same thing!” he told her.

Ariel glared at him. “Orion, you know that I support you! Especially after what we had found the last week! But this is getting dangerous, especially for us! You have to remember we may have weapon systems, but that’s nothing compared to what they have!” she snapped at him.

“I know that Ariel. Once I have talked with the council with Megatron I will stay quiet until it is safe for me to campaign with him again!” he told her. 

Ariel sighed and looked away from him. “I’m scared, Orion. Its just that we deal with all kinds of Mechs and most of them make a living with in the the businesses that the Prime supports!” she sighed still looking away from him. “Please, at least get in touch with your sister! You said she has a better understanding in fighting than you do!” she said to him as she looked back at him.

“I don’t even know where she is, Ariel! She left three vorns ago!” Orion told her. He remembered the night when she just got up and left. She had explained to him and Alpha Trion what she was thinking about for ages. Their weakness was like the Seekers, they couldn’t stay in one place for too long. He knew she was looking to find out who she was and she knew the answers she wouldn’t be able to find it on Cybertron. 

Ariel sighed and slumped her shoulders. “At least call her and tell her what’s happening!” she pleaded with him. 

“Okay, I will call her after I call Megatron and tell him about the council meeting tomorrow!” he reassured her.

Ariel nodded her helm. Happy that Orion was going to take some of her advice. Then she walked back into her office. They did have jobs to keep after all.


	4. Call with Megatron

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Writing this chapter and the previous chapter I have found that I have been so close to writing Optimus instead of Orion and Elita-One instead of Ariel. It is probably because I have also been writing other stories that are set in present time. It also doesn’t help that my predict text of my tablet has learned those two names over Orion and Ariel.

Orion Pax had raced to his own office to speak with Megatron. He needed to quickly make the Mech aware of the council meeting that Alpha Trion had arranged for them. He and Ariel both had their own offices in the warehouse. They both had different jobs within the docks and they found it best to have separate offices. It made it harder for thieves and crime lords to get all the information about rivals or targets. 

The screen flickered to life and there came Megatron with Soundwave and the two Twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe standing band him. The twins were play fighting behind Megatron with another Mech, a black Paraxian by the name of Barricade. He didn’t know much about the other gladiators other than they agreed with what Megatron was saying. They all knew what was happening in Cybertron was wrong. There was some Mechs who were fighting in the Pits just to get enough Energon for the next few days. Those Mechs always lived in the fear that they were not going to get home after their next fight.

“Orion, I hope you have good news like I do!” greeted Megatron with a smile coming onto his faceplate. His red optics were bright and filled with hope. Even though the two friends were on other side of Cybertron they could easily tell that Megatron was bristling with anticipation.

“I do Megatron! Alpha Trion has managed to get us a meeting with the Council tomorrow at midday!” Orion explained to Megatron.

Megatron was once again happy and relieved with that news. Then his processors clocked on the word ‘us’. “Us?” he asked Orion.

Orion shank into his chair. His audios picked up Ariel’s voice coming from her office, however he couldn’t tell what she was saying or who she was talking to. “The meeting is only going ahead because the council has agreed for me to go with you! Not that it won’t be a problem?” he asked with a smirk on his faceplates.  
Megatron also smirked. “I trust you my friend! Hopefully you will be able to help me make those Mechs understand what is really happening to Cybertron far away from their comfy estates!” he told Orion.

“Megatron there is also something that I want to talk to you about!” Orion said to Megatron.

Megatron arched an optic ridge in question. Even though they were looking at each other in a screen, but he could tell there was something wrong with Orion Pax. “What happened? Orion was it the thugs again?” demanded Megatron.   
“It was the thugs! They came back once again and threatened Ariel before I got there!” he explained to Megatron.

Megatron growled and his red optics flashed in anger. “They claim that all Mechs and Femmes are allowed to voice concerns. And that is exactly what we are doing. The Prime and the government of Cybertron are corrupt and they know it. They are afraid in that we are gaining support all over Cybertron. And they are afraid that we are going to ruin their perfect lives that they have built on spilt Energon!” he growled.

“Ariel is just concerned that the thugs and even the Enforcers will use violence against us! So I have agreed with her that I will lay off for the time being until things cool down and the Prime has no choice but to listen to our concerns!” Orion informed Megatron.

Megatron stared at Orion Pax. His optics were wide and he was stunned at what he was hearing. “Orion, you know that I will protect you! As will the others! We are in this together!” he assured Orion.

Orion vented air through his vents. “I have already told Ariel that I will be doing that! Not until my sister gets here! I think she just wants someone to help stay with her when I am not here!” Orion explained to Megatron. He still saw that the silver and red Mech was still angry. Not at him for turning away from him, but because of all the threats that he had been getting. The threats were now moving towards Ariel along with his business.

“The cowards!” sneered Megatron as he calmed down. “They would go after a Mech and a Femme for voicing their concerns for the benefit of all Cybertronians!” he continued to seethe at the thought of Ariel getting hurt. “Has seen been hurt?” he asked calming down. His optics looked behind Orion to the door of his office.  
“Just a few scratches, but she says she’s fine! So I am going to watch her, but allow her to make the choice if she needs to see a medic!” Orion responded to him.  
Megatron stiffened as did Soundwave. The red visor that was his optics flashed in warning. Even the twins stopped their fighting and looked towards the screen.  
“You aren’t even going to take her to a medic, just to make sure that she is fine?” asked Megatron. He arched his optic ridge in question and a knowing smirk came across his faceplates.

Orion sighed and was once again slumping in his chair. “Ariel is to stubborn and proud to go to a medic! And I am wise enough not to pick a fight with her!” he told Megatron.

“Maybe Ariel will be able to help us with her campaign if she is so scary as you say!” said Megatron.

“She does not want to be involved in this at all! That is why I am taken some time off this campaign! She is getting fed up of being harassed at work and she is worried that it is going to come to our home!” he explained to Megatron.  
Megatron was silent for a good moment. Then he nodded his helm in understanding. “I understand Orion and I respect that!” Megatron replied to Orion Pax. 

Orion smiled. He was relieved that Megatron was not going to argue with him about his decision. He had enough of that from Ariel. He didn’t need that from Megatron before he had someone else bickering at him. “Thank you Megatron! I will see you tomorrow at the Council Chambers! I think we should arrive at the Council Chambers earlier just so we cannot face problems!” Orion said to Megatron.

“Understood! I will meet you there!” said Megatron. That was when the line cut and Orion was left in his office alone. He could still here Ariel talking to whoever it was she was talking to. He knew she was ranting. No doubt she was ranting about him. He smiled as he felt sorry for whoever Ariel was calling. He allowed this peace and quiet that he found himself in to think about what he was going to say to the Council Chambers tomorrow.


	5. Ariel talks with Ratchet and Nightshade

“Ok, think like Orion Pax” Ariel said to herself as she sat down at her office desk. “I mean how hard can that be?” she asked herself. Activating the computer, the computer her optics quickly adjusted to the bright light that was coming from the computer’s screen. She scrolled through all the contact details of all the businesses that they dealt with. Their business had seen an increase in cliental in the past few years. It had been a few years ago when Orion had joined the company. He was one of those Mechs who was easy to talk to and that was helping their business. That had helped their business to grow and attracted the attention of large businesses of Iacon and the other city-states of Cybertron.

Her optics quickly skimmed over the list of contacts that the business had collected over the years before and after Orion had joined the business. “Ok, it’s not there. That is the business contacts, not our personal details. So, it wouldn’t be there” she said to herself as she slumped down in her chair. Her blue optics narrowed as she stared at the computer screen before her. She changed the computer from looking for businesses in Cybertron to the personal details of all the docks employees.

She clicked on Orion Pax’s name and then a very short list appeared before her. The list was of all the Mechs that Orion knew outside of work. Ariel scanned the list quickly. She knew all these Mechs. She and Orion had the same connections in Iacon, with a few odd contacts all over Cybertron. Her faceplates scrunched up when she saw who was on top of the list. Megatron: Residence at Gladiator Penthouse, Kaon. The Mech was alright, but he had moments when he lunged into fits of rage. The rages were never directed at Orion, which she was glad for. Of course, she was worried about the other Mechs who had to face Megatron’s rage when it got the better of him.

How long will it take for Megatron to turn his anger onto Orion? 

She hoped that he would be smart enough that when Megatron’s famous temper turned towards him he would just walk away. She knew Orion. She knew him as well as she knew herself. She knew that he could be naïve and very trusting. She just hoped that when the time came, he would trust her more than Megatron.

The next name that she came across, was a known Mech to all Cybertron. Not in the same way that Megatron was. Ratchet: Head Medic of Iacon Hospital, Iacon. Ratchet had been friends with Orion since he was a young Youngling. He had said so himself on time they had been speaking about their pasts. Maybe he would know something about Orion’s sister. 

She pressed the button to make the call with Ratchet. As the call connected with the medic at the hospital, she made sure that she was presentable. A second later a white and red Mech with blue optics appeared on her screen. He looked angry and she did not know if it was directed at her or something that had happened in his ward in the hospital. He was one of the best medics in all of Cybertron, and that meant a lot of Cybertronians went to him.

“Who are you? And what idiot has done what this time?” Ratchet gruffly asked her. His optics were narrowed as he looked at Ariel through the screen.

Ariel vented air in through her vents as she gathered all her thoughts. She needed to get the gruff medic on her side. Once she got all her thoughts together, she began to explain why she was calling Ratchet out of the blue because of Orion. Before she explained to him why she was calling him from the company number about Orion he must have thought that something had gone wrong at the docks. That was common for the Energon docks. There was always a threat that there was a rouge spark caused by anything. There was also the threat of pirates who wanted to get an easy score of Energon to either keep or to sell it on for more credits. Now that he understood what was going on, he relaxed but he was still tense. 

Ratchet had been silent all throughout Ariel explaining what was going on. He did not make even a hum or a grunt as he listened to what she was telling him. “Orion’s Spark is always in the good place. In all the vorns that I have known him he has always believed that once you start something you have to finish it. Recently he has begun to see the corruption that is coming from all the noble families and the Prime himself. That’s all after he started to read more datapads in the archive” Ratchet explained to Ariel.

“That is what I am afraid off now, Medic Ratchet! He’s too stubborn for his own good!” Ariel cried to Ratchet. She sat back in her chair and gathered herself back up. She breathed in a large amount of air to calm herself down. Shuttering her optics for a second, she also used that to calm her down. Opening her optics up again she saw that Ratchet was watching her. He was sitting in his office and was waiting for her to continue “Because Orion is helping Megatron has painted a target on his back. No not just his back but mine as well. And I am just worried that he is going to get killed the next time that we are attacked!” Ariel told him.

Ratchet sighed on his side of the call. He then went silent as he thought over everything that was, he had been told by her. This silence lasted for a moment before he finally said what was on his mind. “And you think that you can have his sister talk him into stepping away from all of this before the both of you get hurt because of these thugs?” he asked her.

“Yes, that’s exactly what I want to be done! I want to go back to the way things were before he met that Megatron!” she couldn’t help but hiss out his name. Megatron meant well, for sure and she did support him. But it stopped when she and Orion were being threatened in their place of work. How long was it going to be until they were being attacked in their own home?

Ratchet rubbed his chin as his optics dimmed as he thought over what he had been told. “I have meet Orion’s sister. I don’t know where she is, all I know is that she is exploring the galaxy!” he explained to her.

“Do you know how to get in touch with her?” Ariel asked him.

Ratchet was silent for a moment. It was clear that he was thinking over what he should do. “Nightshade told me that she didn’t want to be contacted at all! She said she needed to explore the galaxy to better understand who she is” he explained to her. He remembered that night when Orion and Nightshade had appeared at his door. The two of them had been arguing about something and needed a second opinion about it. He had listened and had agreed with her. A few hours later she was gone. That had been a few years ago that they had left. 

Ariel stared at Ratchet. She had a name for Orion’s sister. The sister he never talked about until he mentioned her. “Surely she will help knowing that there is a threat to his life?” she asked him.

“I do have the means to get in touch with her! But I will do the call! She does not trust Cybertronians that she does not know. It took her a good few vorns before she could and would trust me” he explained to Ariel.

Ariel was silent as she stared at the medic. He was gruff around the edges, but he really cared about Orion. What had happened in Orion’s past that had allowed him to go into the care of one of the most respective Mechs in all Cybertron and to also meet the best Medic in all Cybertron? “Surely I can call Nightshade myself if I explain myself as to why I am calling her and who I am?” she asked him.

“She might answer, but she will be really cautious when talking to you! I think its best I get in touch with her and have her call you when she can” Ratchet told her. He saw she was about to argue with him. He raised his hand up to prevent her from saying anything. “That is final Ariel! It’s the only way we can get in touch with her!” he told her.

Ariel was quick to relent. She was worried. She was worried about the rising threats that was coming to her and Orion because he was helping Megatron. There was also the rising crime that was spreading all throughout Cybertron. The Prime could argue all the time that Cybertron was in a Golden Age, but there was so many Cybertronians who were struggling. It did not matter if they were Autobot or Decepticons. They were not getting any help at all from the wealthy noblemechs and the Prime, himself. The Prime and his close friends were sitting comfortable in either the Towers or in the Palace of Iacon. “Fine!” she snapped back at Ratchet. “But I expect a call soon!” she said to Ratchet.

“I will see what I can do” he told her before cutting the line on his end.

Ariel looked at the dull screen of the computer before her. She decided that she was just going to stay in her office until either Ratchet or Nightshade called her back. This was going to be a long wait. 

00000oooooo0000000oooo

Ariel woke up to the computer beeping for her attention. She came back online quickly to see that her computer was alerting her that someone was calling. The caller was an unknown caller to the system. That ruled out that Ratchet was calling her back. His contact details were saved into the company files. So, if he called the system would tell her. There was always a chance that it was a new client. 

Sitting up in her chair she once again she made herself look presentable before accepting the call. The screen flickered and she came face to face with a creature that was not a Cybertronian. 

Staring at her with red optics was a dragon. The dragon was gun-grey with blue symbols all over its body. Four silver horns grew from a silver ridge that was over the optics that glared back at her. The left optic was paler than the right, with a horrible scar running down from the eye socket down to the jaws. The jaws that had sharp saber-teeth interlocking with each other.

“Are you Ariel?” asked the dragon. Red optics narrowed as she studied the Femme before her.

“Are you Nightshade?” Ariel found herself asking the dragon.

Nightshade hissed through her teeth. Her optics narrowed in warning. That scar made the warning scarier than it should be for Ariel. “I will answer the questions! So, I will repeat mine; are you Ariel?” Nightshade snapped back to Ariel.

Ariel stared at Nightshade before she nodded her helm in response. She didn’t trust her voice at the moment. “I’m good I got the correct details from Ratchet. I was surprised when he called out of a sudden and told me that Orion has been causing trouble back on Cybertron! I would never have thought that Orion Pax of all Mechs would be causing trouble on Cybertron!” Nightshade chuckled more to herself than to Ariel.

“I take it Medic Ratchet had told you what is happening here?” Ariel asked her.

Nightshade nodded her head in response. “He did. He told me that there is growing tensions on Cybertron and that the Prime is trying to cover it up. I was also informed that Orion is helping a gladiator who is brave enough to stand up against the system that has so many of Cybertron’s struggle. It doesn’t matter if they be Autobot or Decepticon” she explained to Ariel. Ratchet had told her what was happening on Cybertron, but she was still confused as to what she could do. She was lightyears away from Cybertron and if she were going to return to Cybertron it would take her some time to get back to it. It would not matter if she even used the Moonray, the fastest ship she had in her fleet. “Why have you contacted me? I do not see why I can be of help since Orion has made up his mind. What do you think I can do to help you when change is needed for a planet to move on? There will always be those who fight the new way because they are afraid of what the changes will bring. It is only natural!” she pointed out to Ariel. Those red optics narrowed as she studied Ariel from her side of the call.

Ariel was silent as she thought of what she was going to tell her. She had already told Ratchet what was happening with Orion and his friendship with Megatron. She had thought that Ratchet would have told Nightshade when he called her. Maybe he did tell her, and Nightshade just wanted to hear it coming from her herself. “Because I am afraid! I am afraid that after this meeting with the council tomorrow that Sentinel Prime will act against all of us! I am afraid that the Enforcers and thugs that he has been sending down to the docks where we work will turn violent rather than give us threats!” Ariel explained to Nightshade. She stopped to calm herself down. She shuttered her optics to also help her. Regaining her composure again she spoke again, “It’s not just the Prime I am worried about. There is also the noblemechs of Autobot and Decepticon families who are happy with this way of life. They get so many credits and Energon for what they allow to happen to the other Cybertronians around the world. There is also the gang lords here in Iacon who also find profit in the system that the Prime is supporting”

Nightshade was silent and just stared at her. The red optics showed no emotion of whatever she was thinking. “So, the Prime says people can have freedom of speech, but once they enact that right he threatens them?” Nightshade asked her. She waited for Ariel to node her head before sighing. “Very well. I shall be back on Cybertron as soon as possible!” Nightshade told Ariel.

Ariel found herself opening her mouth, but Nightshade had already cut the call. Ariel found herself staring at the blank computer screen that was before her. The light from the computer did not bother her optics. She spend long hours in front of the computer a day in dealing with the company files that her optics had set to the correct settings with dealing with the computer all day. Then suddenly the computer screen light up as a message appeared before her.

“Contact me again if things get worse”


	6. Megatron's Plans are Beginning to Form

Megatron leaned back on his chair in his Gladiator Penthouse. He had been moved into the Penthouse district of Kaon after he became a known gladiator in the Pits and began to draw in more crowds from all over Cybertron. The Penthouse that he was put into was at the very top of the tower. Below him was the other gladiators who had been fighting in the Pits of Kaon. At the moment they were not the favourite of the crowd like he was. He gave the crowd what they wanted. They wanted Energon to be spilled in great amounts so they could feel the adrenaline of the fights without having to get into the Pits with the trained killers that they were. Also being at the very top of the tower only showed him what he already knew: he was better than them all.

He rubbed his chin as he glared at the computer screen that a moment ago just had Orion Pax’s plate on it. The young dock worker shared a lot of ideas that he did. They both thought the system that the Noblemechs had created was wrong with both Autobots and Decepticons suffering because of the greed of the nobles including the Prime, who had been a noble himself before. Orion Pax may have wanted to see a change to Cybertron for all. Both Autobots and Decepticons so that there was no slavery at all on Cybertron. But that was not what Megatron fully wanted. No, his ideas differed from the young dock workers ideas that he did not see what he was truly planning for Cybertron. Megatron did not know if Orion could not see what he wanted or did not want to admit that he knew what he was planning. Megatron was the only friend that Orion had made other than Ariel when he had started to work in the docks. But of course, there had been a reason as to why he had befriended the small dock worker. He had close connections with Alpha Trion having been raised by the old Mech from a young age, along with a mystery sister who seemed to have vanished from the face of Cybertron. Making friends with Orion had been easy. The next part of his plan was to get a meeting with the Autobot High Council. That was something that he had no expected to happen so quickly, but it seemed that their peaceful protests so far had to be answered and quickly. He smirked at the thought that he could get what he wanted through the Autobot legal way.

He dimmed his optics as he thought over what his next moves were going to be. Once he meet with the Autobot High Council he would be so much closer to Sentinel Prime. Once he was closer to the Prime, he could start putting together his pieces that so far, the Prime’s Enforcers had not yet put them together. He heard footsteps behind him, but he did not need turn around to see who it was. There was very few Mechs who he trusted and allowed them into his penthouse.

“Query: Has the meeting with the Council been approved?” Soundwave asked. The gladiator who had come straight to the Pits of Kaon rather than coming from the mines under Kaon had become a strong support of Megatron’s cause. Both to the cause that he was sharing with the rest of Cybertron and the cause that he was keeping quiet.

Megatron’s optics flashed as he fully onlined them. He still did not look around to face Soundwave. It was something that the blue and white Mech was used to and it was not something that he was going to change. “Orion Pax has done his part. He just needs to do one more thing for us before we can truly make our moves against the Noblemechs and the Prime himself.” Megatron said to Soundwave. He still was not looking at the loyal Mech. Instead, he was looking out the massive window that overlooked the city-state of Kaon. Kaon was a large city but not as large as Iacon. “Are the others ready?” he asked Soundwave.

“Confirmation: They are ready for your signal, Lord Megatron.” Soundwave confirmed to him. He had started to call Megatron “Lord” when he brought the loyal Mech into his plans. Soundwave saw that he was a Mech to follow and he was loyal to no fault at all. 

Finally, Megatron turned and looked towards Soundwave. Soundwave as ever was standing to attention like he always done when he was with Megatron. The dark blue Mech who to many was scary and was also seen to have very little emotion always seemed to be at Megatron’s side. Megatron had gotten use to the Mech at his side. There had been a few matches in the Pits when both of them had fought together against other Mechs along with the more animalistic Predacons.

Megatron couldn’t help the smile that came across his faceplates. “Good. I take it you are ready to send the signal out to all Decepticons across Cybertron?” he asked the other gladiator.

“Confirmation: I am ready. I have designed a broadcasting signal to be send out and not detected by the Prime and his Enforcers.” Soundwave responded to Megatron. He had not moved from his position behind Megatron and to the right of the gun-grey and red Mech. 

Once again Megatron was smiling. “That’s very good Soundwave. All my planning is coming together. I just need to get Orion Pax on my side until he no longer has any value to me.” Megatron said to Soundwave finally getting out of his chair and standing taller than the other large Mech.

Soundwave titled his helm as he watched Megatron walking towards one of the large windows. The window may have still looked on over Kaon but the direction that the window was in was towards Iacon. “Query: Orion Pax and Ariel?” Soundwave asked Megatron. Everyone knew who Orion Pax was. He agreed with the ideas that Megatron was saying to the populace of Cybertron. He was the Mech that the other half of Cybertron’s population listened to. The side of Cybertron that were the Autobots, but they all agreed that the Prime was corrupt, but they did not have the strength nor the bravery that the Decepticons had.

“Orion Pax is a means to an end. He is what I need to get a meeting with the High Council. Once I get closer to them and the Prime, I am closer to finishing off the reign of the Autobots! I will be the first Decepticon named Prime” Megatron explained to Soundwave still looking out of the window. “Once I am finished with needing him, he is no longer of value to me. The same goes for Ariel.” He told Soundwave.

Silently Soundwave walked around Megatron’s desk and joined Megatron at standing at the window. He was still standing to the right of the larger Mech. “Query: What if Orion Pax puts up a fight when he is no longer of use?” Soundwave asked Megatron. 

Megatron snorted and glared towards the other Mech. “You haven’t meet Orion Pax properly. Orion Pax is more a talker than a fighter. He does know how to use a gun but that is only to defend the Energon at the docks. He would rather hide behind a bigger Mech or hide behind a Datapad.” Megatron told Soundwave. “So, to answer your question, he is not a danger to the overall plan. He may cause a roadblock early on but that is easy to resolve with a well-planned accident at the docks!” he continued to explain to Soundwave. 

“Task: Assassinate Orion Pax?” Soundwave asked Megatron.

Megatron was once again walking towards his desk. His red optics narrowed as he processed what their next moves should be with Orion Pax. “Not yet. I still need him to get with the Council and allow them to lower their guard. Once that part of my plan has been completed and I get a one on one meeting with the Prime I will make my move then. Once I have the Matrix and I am the true leader of Cybertron then I will remove this dreaded Autobot caste system that has governed Cybertron for millions of years.” Megatron said to Soundwave. “Now get ready! I have a feeling that after this meeting with the Council, Sentinel Prime will want to talk to me. No doubt to give me something in return for my silence.” Megatron scoffed as he began to walk away from the window.

He was nearly back to his desk when he stopped suddenly when a thought came to him. What if Orion Pax became a problem? What if he did not step aside and let him win over the Council members like he planned? What if Orion Pax was using him just as much as he was using him? What if Orion was to become the next Prime rather than him? What if Orion Pax was just playing the innocent fool that everyone within the Decepticons thought that he was? 

No, he could not allow Orion Pax to become a problem! Not when he was so close to getting what was his. 

He turned back around to face Soundwave to see that the ever-loyal Mech was still right behind him. “Send your minions and watch Orion Pax and especially that femme, Ariel. She is just trouble to my plans. She is already beginning to worm doubts into Orion’s processors that he should take a break right after the meeting. Something that I cannot allow to happen. Not with how close we are from getting to my end game!” Megatron ordered Soundwave.

Soundwave nodded his helm. “Orders: Spy on Orion Pax and Ariel at their place of work and residence to make sure that they are still of use to the Decepticon cause. Received and obeyed!” Soundwave stated back right away. He opened up his chest compartment allowing the two Cassetticons Laserbeak and Ravage to leap out of it. Ravage landed gentle on the ground on all four paws. His yellow optics looking up at his masters. Laserbeak circled around the two large Mechs before landing on Soundwave’s outstretched arm. He cawed as he settled his sharp metal talons into Soundwave’s armoured arm. “Task: Watch both Orion Pax and Ariel! Make sure that they are not a threat to the overall plan!” Soundwave ordered the two of them.

The two Cassetticons made a noise in confirmation that they understood what was being asked of them. Ravage transformed into his alternative form, a Cybertronian data pad. Laserbeak swopped down from his perch on Soundwave’s arm to the ground and picked Ravage up in his sharp talons. His small thrusters powered up and he along with Ravage flew out of a window that had been opened on Megatron’s command. 

Soundwave watched as his two Cassetticons flew out of Megatron’s penthouse. The two of them were loyal to both him and Megatron. He knew that they would not fail their mission. “They better not fail me with this simple task that we have given them!” Megatron snapped up from where he was standing by his desk. 

Soundwave felt his Spark drop slightly that Megatron would not trust both Laserbeak and Ravage. He knew that both Cassetticons would not fail their tasks that they had been given. He hid this from Megatron as he turned back towards him. “Cassetticons: Will not fail with their tasks!” he reassured Megatron.

“They better not. At the moment I need Orion Pax at my side until he is of no use to me.” Megatron snapped at Soundwave before he walked away from him. Soundwave as ever loyal to Megatron followed him like his shadow.


	7. Sentinel Prime Summons Megatron

“Sentinel Prime? Sir?” asked a timid voice at the door of the Primes office.

Sentinel Prime looked up from the mountain of Datapads that needed his attention right away. Standing at the door was the young Femme who was his assistant in many things. She had become his assistant for more credits from the course that she was doing in Iacon at the Enforcers Academy along with her creators forcing her to become his assistant, hoping to get in good books with him. A lot of Cybertronians were like that and he took it to his advantage in keeping Cybertron under his control.

The young Femme who was currently studying at the Iacon Enforcers Academy was still standing at the door. That was one thing that he liked about the Youngling. She followed the rules and she followed orders. One of the good things in an assistant who organised his meetings when his other assistant wasn’t there. He nodded his helm for her to come in. He watched as she carefully walked into his office as if she was scared to step the wrong way and anger him. “What is the matter, Strongarm? Surely an Enforcers Academy student will know how to listen to orders and how to follow them? I was so sure that I made it clear that I was not to be disturbed today!” snapped Sentinel leaning back in his chair. He put the Datapad that he was working on at moment on top of the large pile of Datapads from all over Cybertron. Many of them were messages from the Noblemechs all across Cybertron that were wanting him to do something about the growing tensions that was being seen all over Cybertron. 

“I am sorry, sir. I know that you had made it clear that you were not to be disturbed,” Strongarm explained to Sentinel Prime, “But I think you should hear this report that just came in.” She was keeping a good distance between herself and the desk where the Prime was sitting.

“And what is that? It must be important that you are risking your place in the Iacon Police Academy?” he asked her. His blue optics narrowed as he studied the young Femme who he had brought as an assistant into his office at the request of her Creators. They hoped that her being an assistant to the Prime would allow her to see that there was also politics within the Enforcers and maybe get her interested in politics herself. Her creators were politicians and loyal to the Prime, and yet they did not know that Sentinel used his position and used her to get what he wanted done. It didn’t matter if it was office work or something else. If he did not want to do it, then it was given to Strongarm. He did always report back to her tutors about how well she was doing with all the paperwork that came with being in his offices. So she got extra credits, which was what she wanted.

“Alpha Trion has accepted Orion Pax’s request to summon a meeting with the Autobot High Council tomorrow at midday and has given the request to the Council himself!” Strongarm said quickly that Sentinel nearly missed it all. He was used to her reports being quick and to the point that he understood her now.

Sentinel arched an optic ridge and leaned back in his chair. He watched as Strongarm took in a large intake of air before she continued, “Orion Pax has requested a meeting with the Autobot High Council with Megatron to go with him tomorrow at midday. It is to talk about the unfair treatment of both Autobots and Decepticons who are not of the noble batch.” She explained to him.

“And surely the Council have not accepted what Alpha Trion has presented to then? Orion Pax is a dreamer. He has spent too long in his dusty Datapads that he still thinks Drakeians are still alive. He is also aiding that gladiator, Megatron in spreading lies and anarchy all throughout the city states of Cybertron. He is clearly needing a dose of reality if he wants to get far in life. That was why Alpha Trion send him to the docks for some good hard work.” Sentinel said with a dismissive tone towards Strongarm. 

Strongarm shuffled on her feet. Her engine made a stalling noise that she hoped that Sentinel had not heard. Quickly her hopes dashed away when Sentinel glared at her. He had heard her. “They have accepted it on the condition that Orion goes with them!” Strongarm almost shouted at him. She just wanted to get out of his office and back to the classroom where everything sounded all good and simple. Where she was not helping a corrupt Prime and all his friends in power. She wanted to be an Enforcer to help others, not be the Prime’s private army that he used against other Cybertronians either they be Autobots or Decepticons.

“They did what?!” he demanded and stood up from his chair. He did not care that he had scrapped the legs of the chair against the floor and had caused the noise of the action to scrap across the floor of his office.

Strongarm found herself backing away from the enraged Prime. “They accepted, sir.” She almost whispered at him.

“I heard you the first time, Strongarm!” Sentinel Prime roared at her. His optics glowed a bright blue as he glared to face at the young Femme from Parxus. 

Sentinel Prime’s engine roared and he stormed away from his table. He stomped towards the large window of his palace in the middle of Iacon. From his vantage point he could see the Iacon Hall of Records along with the High Council Tower. He narrowed his optics when he was looking in the general direction of the Iacon Docks where no doubt Orion Pax was working away. His attention then moved towards the direction where Kaon and Megatron was. Megatron was the reason why he was beginning to be hated in Kaon. He had given the lowest of all society a job, it was not his fault that the Cybertronians who refused the mining had become homeless and couldn’t afford to get Energon, even the cheapest of form Energon. 

“I think it is time that I speak with this Megatron. Myself!” Sentinel said as he slowly turned around to face Strongarm.

“I’m sorry, sir? But did you just say that you want to speak with Megatron?” Strongarm asked him with a worried tone in her voice. Her entire frame trembled at the thought of what that gladiator could do to the Prime if they were alone. Megatron was a trained killer. He had killed other trained killers in the Pits of Kaon. Sure, Sentinel Prime had the Matrix of Leadership and that made him stronger and faster than the average Mech, but Sentinel had never fought in his life. Not as a Prime and even before becoming a Prime. Him to go up against Megatron would only lead to disaster.

“I am sorry sir. But I can not allow you to put your life in danger and be in the same room as a trained killer!” Strongarm told him. She even surprised herself with how calm she sounded as she talked to the Prime who always insulted her whenever something went wrong. It did not matter if it was her fault, his fault or someone else’s fault. She was always at the end of his fury and most of it was him telling her Creators that she was not good enough. That hurt the most for her in that she could not turn to her own Creators when this Mech was ruling and ruining her life. 

Sentinel Prime stared at Strongarm. His blue optics narrowed on her as he got right into her personal space. “Summon Megatron to see me and tell him to see me alone. I do not want to have that loyal Mech, what’s his name, ah Soundwave following him.” he ordered her. He watched in silence as she raced out of his office to go to the next scariest place on Cybertron for her, Kaon.

00000ooooooo00000

Sentinel Prime was still in his office when Strongarm came back into his office. He nodded his helm, and she allowed the gun grey and red Mech to walk into his office. Red optics locked onto blue optics as the two Mechs stood across from each other.

“Ah, Megatron so good to see you face to face at long last!” Sentinel said to Megatron. He was still sitting down in his chair with his desk and another chair the only things that were keeping Megatron away from him. “Please have a seat. After all this is how I speak with Mechs and Femmes who I do business with. And right now, Megatron that is you.” Sentinel Prime said to Megatron. He was keeping his tone neutral but at the same time as commanding as possible. He needed to win Megatron over and given the Mech who recently had nothing the same respect that he gave to the other noblemechs who thought they were getting a good deal, but really it was him who was getting the best deal.

“You must feel really honoured as to be here in Iacon. And speaking with me.”

Megatron narrowed his optics towards him and did not make a move to sit on the chair in front of the Prime’s desk. He crossed his arms across his chassis as he stood his ground in front of the Prime. “Save me the pleasantries. I really know why you summoned to speak with me only a matter of hours before the meeting with the Autobot High Council!” Megatron growled towards the Prime.

“And what is it that I will want to speak with your alone before the meeting? A meeting that may bring about great change in Cybertron’s history?” he asked Megatron. He arched an optic ridge as he looked towards Megatron. He leaned back in his chair as he watched Megatron closely.

The two Mechs were not backing down. Both of them had too much that they could lose. Sentinel Prime could lose the title of Prime and the Matrix of Leadership if Megatron was able to get support from the Autobot Council. Megatron could lose the support that he has gained in Kaon with all his fights in the Pits of Kaon and he may also be send back into the mines. So, both of them were not backing away from their arguments.

“That you want me to simple step down and show all of Cybertron that you are a kind Mech who thinks of others rather than the privileges that comes with being a Prime. I know what you are thinking of saying and doing,” Megatron snarled at Sentinel Prime as he took a step closer to the desk. He was still not for sitting down on the chair that Prime had offered to him. He narrowed his optics as he watched the Prime slowly stand up from his own chair. The two Mechs when standing up were the same size, but Sentinel Prime only puffed himself out to make himself look bigger in front of the miner who had turned into a gladiator. 

Sentinel smirked and made a noise in agreement to what Megatron had told him. “And you are correct in saying that. You see Cybertron is currently going through a Golden Age. We are at peace with the rest of the galaxy. There is plenty of Energon for all as long as a Cybertronian is willing to work for it,” Sentinel Prime told Megatron keeping to standing behind his desk that was still covered with many Datapads. “Why would you want to change that, Megatron? Why do you want to bring our planet into chaos with the lies that you have been telling yourself and Orion Pax?” he asked him. “Megatron I can make you a very wealthy Mech if you just agree to not go to the meeting and make changes to the planet! Changes that Cybertron does not need or want now.” Sentinel told Megatron.

Megatron snarled at the Prime. “That’s not what I want. I don’t want to be given all the credits and Energon that you need me to remain silent. I am not like the so called ‘friends’ that you have at your side because you give them credits and Energon. No, I am not going to step down from what I am doing! Not when I am so close to achieving my destiny!” Megatron told Sentinel.

“I am offering you something that not very many Cybertronians have gotten at all!” Sentinel snarled at Megatron. He was still keeping his desk in between him and Megatron, but it still did not stop his optics moving towards the fusion canon on his arm. The weapon that had made Megatron famous not only in the Pits of Kaon but to all of Cybertron. The weapon that had taken out many Mechs that were like him and the beasts that were brought into the Pits for an unfair fight.

“That is not what I want, Prime! And you know it!” Megatron roared. He raised his arm with the fusion canon on it up towards Sentinel and aimed the deadly weapon at the blue Mech’s chassis. He smirked at seeing the look of fear crossing over the Prime’s faceplates and his optics almost turning white with fear. He powered up his canon with its familiar hum that got him a high from the many kills that had come with the weapon. “Aren’t you going to ask me what I want?” Megatron asked with a purr to his voice as he watched the Mech who was supposed to be brave in front of all threats to both himself and to Cybertron.

Slowly raising his arms up, he showed the gladiator that he was not a threat. “Look Megatron. Like I said I will give you anything that you want. I have connections and I have powers that no other Mech has. I can get you anything that you want. I can even make you the new lord of Kaon. I can give you anything that you want. Just name it!” Sentinel pleaded with Megatron.

Megatron could only smirk even more at seeing the fear that was coming from the Prime. “Here I thought a Prime was supposed to show no fear as being the leader of Autobots and of Cybertron? After all weren’t you chosen by Primus himself?” he asked the Prime before him.

“I invited you to my home! And this is how you thank me?” Sentinel demanded Megatron. His optics had returned back to their blue hue as he stared back at Megatron. The gladiator who was aiming his weapon right at him.

“Yes! This is how I am thanking you. You see I was just going to use the council as a steppingstone to get to you. After all, after the High Council and I have a talk I am sure that they will want to talk to you. They will want to decide that you are happy with. And we all know how that will end; don’t we?” Megatron snarled back to Sentinel. His red optics narrowed as he glared at Megatron. “So you have just cut out the middlemen for me!” he finished saying to Sentinel Prime.

Sentinel watched as the fusion canon powered up. He was about to call for his security when Megatron fired. He grunted when the first blast smashed into his chassis. The force from the shot forced him backwards and crashed into the chair that he had been sitting on only moments before. He managed to look down at the damage that Megatron had just done to him. His optics widened at the damage that was done. What had once been looked after and polished blue metal was now charred with the machinery under the armour sparking away. He could fell his Energon racing as he once again heard the humming of the fusion canon. He was so close to shouting out for help when Megatron fired again. This time at his face.

Megatron looked at the damage that he had just done to the Prime. Sparks were sparking for both his chassis and damaged faceplates. Both wounds were fatal at him being so close to his target, but he had deliberately missed the Prime’s Spark Chamber. This allowed for a great amount of Energon to come out of his wound in chassis before he moved to his faceplates. He had killed him. The mech who had everything. The mech who kept all of Cybertron under his foot. Now all of Cybertron was under His.

Depowering his fusion canon, he activated his communication unit. //Decepticons our time is now! The Prime has fallen like the coward he was. It is now time for a strong leader to rule over Cybertron. It is now time for the reign of Lord Megatron!// Megatron broadcasted for all his supporters to hear. He smirked when he heard thunderous roars coming from all of them as they began their attacks not only in Iacon but all over Cybertron.

Megatron turned around and walked out of the Prime’s office. In the corridor he came across the Enforcers who had been there to protect their Prime. “What such heroic nonsense!” he sneered to himself as he slowly took out the Enforcers with trained ease. 

//Soundwave?// Megatron asked the loyal Mech who was watching everything that was happening around Cybertron back in their base in Kaon.

//Acknowledged: Megatron// came the response of the Mech right away.

//It is time that we tie up lose ends with Orion Pax// he ordered the master of the Cassetticons.

//Task: Eliminate Orion Pax begins now// Soundwave responded back to Megatron right away. 

Megatron smiled as he left the fortress of the Prime. Once he was outside he transformed into his Cybertronian Tank form and thundered away from the fortress. His next destination was the Autobot Council Building. He cannot allow any Mech or Femme to stand in his way.


	8. The End of an Era

Orion Pax looked up at the tall dark blue Mech who had come out of nowhere. Soundwave along with Barricade and a squadron of Seekers had come out of nowhere. When he had first seen them, he had thought that Megatron had send them to escort him to the Autobot High Council building. A sign to all Cybertron that the two Mechs from completely different social upbrings in Cybertron had come together for the same goal. He was quick to see how naive he had been to think that Autobots and Decepticons could find peace with each other. He had watched in silence as Soundwave lead an attack against them and the whole dock. No dock worker was spared as the Cybertronians who agreed with Megatron attacked everyone who worked at the docks. The only thing that these Cybertronians cared about was causing as much damage as possible to the docks and collect as much Energon as they could carry. He had watched as a warehouse that was filled with Energon blow up from a divebombing Seeker who was just showing off to those on the ground. 

He had tried to fight back. He truly did, but he was not a fighter. He was not like Soundwave or Barricade who were both gladiators and had spent so much of their lives fighting in the Pits. Then there was the Seekers, they were Cybertron’s arial defences. To see them attacking Iacon it made Orion really shocked and worried. 

The shock that he was feeling was strong that it was felt across the sibling bond that he shared with Nightshade. For a brief second Orion felt pain on his back and down the left side of his face. He knew that he was not wounded on those parts of his body. That had to have been from Nightshade, so the question that was in the back of his mind was what she was doing wherever she was. Then as quickly as the bond had allowed both of them to fell the others pain the wall that had suddenly appeared overnight was back in its place. The pain on his back and the left side of his face was gone, but the damage that Soundwave had done to him was still sending warnings to his processor.

He looked up at the red visor of Soundwave and tried to move forward to the large Mech. The larger Mech was not looking at him. Instead, he was silently watching as Barricade brought out a struggling Ariel out of the burning warehouse that was still seeing explosions happening inside its walls. He did not get far when he received a blast of Soundwave’s rifle on his shoulder. He screamed out in pain as he felt his body falling to the ground. Coughing up Energon he looked up to Soundwave to see the Mech who was always Megatron’s shadow looking towards him. On his shoulder was the Cassetticon that was called Laserbeak. The two of them were watching him as he was helped to his feet by two Seekers, one on each side of him. The two Seekers kept a strong grip on his arms when he found his feet again. 

“Why Soundwave? Why have you attacked us? We are friends with Megatron.” Orion demanded from Soundwave. He tried to shack the Seekers to let go of him but they kept their grips tight on his arm. He stopped struggling when one of them growled at him. He looked at the Seeker then back at Soundwave. He was still hoping that Soundwave would tell the Seekers off and tell Orion that this was some understanding. There was a growing feeling that was no longer the case.

“Orion Pax: Only pawn to Megatron’s plans. A pawn that is no longer needed in the grand plan of Lord Megatron. You have served your purpose in getting Lord Megatron a meeting place with the Autobot Council and Sentinel Prime. Hence you are no longer needed!” Soundwave responded with little to no emotion at all in his voice. He kept watching Orion with little to no emotion at all. On his shoulder Laserbeak cawed as he hoped from foot to foot before he settled down. 

“Lord? What are you talking about? We were campaigning to end the noblemechs from Cybertron so that all Cybertronians were equal!” Orion shouted back at Soundwave. He heard Ariel and Dion struggling and turned to see them both Struggling against the gladiators who were holding them. 

The other Cassetticon that was called Ravage running about their heels. When he got closer to one of their heels, he went to bite it. He seemed shocked when Ariel actually kicked him before he could get away. Ravage glared up at Ariel and hissed at her before heading to Dion. The other dock worker just screamed when Ravage came in to nip his ankle, this resulted in the Mechs that were close to him to burst into laughter.

“Let them go! They have not done anything to have this sort of treatment! And neither have I! So let me go, Soundwave!” Orion shouted at Soundwave. He was once again struggling against the holds of the two Seekers but stopped quickly when the pain from his wounds got to much for him.

Orion watched as Soundwave turned his attention away from him and towards Ariel. Ariel who was being restrained by Barricade struggled to get out of the Paraxians hold. “Let her go Soundwave. She is not a threat to you or Megatron. She did not even want me to be helping with Megatron and his false hopes of a united Cybertron.” Orion argued back to Soundwave.

“Statement: Correct. Femmes and weak dock workers are not a threat to Lord Megatron and his new reign.” Soundwave stated back to Orion Pax when he looked at the small dock worker. He showed no emotion as both Orion Pax and Ariel both struggled to get out of the Mechs who were holding them back. 

“Then why are you doing this?” questioned Ariel. She was no longer trying to get out of Barricade’s hold. Instead, her blue optics were narrowed onto the large blue Mech before her. “Why is Megatron ordering that you attack us? Trained gladiators and Seekers from the military attacking dock workers who only have self-defence programming to defend the shipments from crime lords and pirate!” she spat at all of them but she was still glaring at Soundwave.

Ravage having enough of nipping the ankles of Ariel and Dion strutted back to Soundwave and sat on his haunches beside his master. His yellow optics glowing brightly as stared over at Dion who looked away from him. 

Soundwave showed no emotion as he stared right back at her. “Ariel: More of a nuisance to Lord Megatron. You attempted to stop Orion Pax from doing his part in the plans in bringing down the reign of Sentinel Prime and his allies!” he stated to her. He patted Ravages head as he kept watching what she was doing before his attention returned back to Orion Pax.

“Megatron was only replacing one corrupt leader with another. He is just changing everything around for his own benefit.” Orion explained to Soundwave. He still had little hope that he could make the mech see reason, but that was growing fainter and fainter with every second that was passing by. “Soundwave you have to see reason here. Megatron has shown that he is ready to get rid of me. How long will it be until you are no longer of use to him!” Orion shouted at Soundwave.

Soundwave turned his full attention back to Orion Pax as did Laserbeak and Ravage. “Orion Pax: False. I am loyal to Lord Megatron and unlike you I have skills to offer Lord Megatron!” Soundwave spat back to Orion Pax in showing anger that the dock worker would question his loyalty to Megatron and Megatron seeing the benefit of keeping him around. 

Orion Pax snarled as his engine revved in anger. “Soundwave if Megatron takes over Cybertron he will become the same thing that he was saying that he was going to remove. Soundwave listen to reason. That is all you are about, isn’t it? Logic? So, think about it closely. Megatron is making himself Lord. How long is it until he becomes Prime and he just becomes like Sentinel Prime?” Orion kept arguing with Soundwave. “How long until we go full circle once again?”

Soundwave just stared at Orion. His red visor showed no emotion as he stared down the smaller Mech. “Soundwave: Loyal to Lord Megatron and the Decepticon cause!” Soundwave growled back to Orion Pax.

Orion opened his mouth to say something to Soundwave or the other Mechs that where there but a sudden blast to his chassis caused him to scream out in pain. He also found himself falling back to the ground as the force from the blast caused him to be forced out of the hold of the two Seekers. He crashed to the ground with a loud crash as metal scrapped against metal.

“Orion!” he heard Ariel scream from where she was still being held by Barricade. “Let me go you beast!” she snapped at the black and white Mech who was holding her. She was once again trying to fight out of his hold, but Barricade was just too strong for her to wiggle out of his hold.

Orion onlined his optics and came face to face with Megatron. The large gun grey and red Mech was standing beside Soundwave. His red optics were glowing brightly as he glared down at Orion as he struggled to get back up onto his feet. Orion took in Megatron. His armour plating was covered in blast marks and there was more scratches that were still leaking fresh Energon. “What have you done?” he shouted at Megatron at seeing his so-called friend towering above him.

“Just what was needed to be done. I must thank you Pax. You have allowed the age of the Decepticons to begin. And the reign of Megatron!” Megatron explained to Orion Pax.

Orion shackling got back to his feet, but his victory was sort lived when he collapsed back to the ground. He was not designed for fights or battles like Megatron. The damage that had been done to him by Soundwave may have been something that he could walk away from but for Orion it was something he could not walk away from. He was just a dock worker and an archivist in his free time. He was not a warrior or a gladiator like Soundwave and Megatron. He did not look for adventure like Nightshade had done years ago. He was happy to read about adventures in the many datapads back in the Iacon Hall of Archives. 

He heard the stomping of Megatron as the large gun grey and red mech stomped towards him. He looked up to see Megatron towering above him. His red optics were growing brightly as he glared down at him. “You’re insane!” Orion heard Ariel shout towards Megatron. Orion kept his focus on Megatron as he slowly walked closer to him until he was towering above him. Megatron growled town at Orion Pax and Orion suddenly felt fear as he watched Megatron closely. He growled in pain when Megatron gave him a quick kick. Hesitantly he looked back up to Megatron to see that the much larger had his ion canon aimed at him.

“Before you send me to the Well of Allsparks, I have a request.” Orion said to Megatron. He tried to get back to his feet, but once again the pain was overbearing. He was getting warnings that he was losing too much Energon from the blasts from both Soundwave and Megatron. There was also the large dent on his side from where Megatron had given him a good kick to make sure that he was going to stay on the ground.

Megatron lowered his fusion canon and narrowed his optics as he glared at the damaged hurt mech before him. He couldn’t help but scoff at the sight he was seeing before him. The once pristine red and blue armour of the mech was scuffed with scratches and dents. There was also the leaking Energon that was forming a puddle around the mech. If Orion was a gladiator he would never have survived so long. The mech had been lucky that growing up he had been around an older mech who cared about him, something that Megatron did not have at all. He sneered down at Orion who he had fooled as being a friend in the beginning of his plans. “And what would that be? To tell all of Cybertron that you were such a fool to believe the words from a Decepticon? Ha. Everyone already knows that Pax!” Megatron laughed at Orion Pax. He flung his head back and allowed himself to laugh at the naivete from Orion Pax. He returned his attention back to Orion after laughing at him. “You fell for my plans from the very beginning and you just helped speed them up. So I think because of that I should listen to the request that you have for me. So quickly tell me what your request is before I send you to the Well of Allsparks and Primus himself?”

Orion tried to get back to his feet and stand his ground before Megatron, but he was not use to the amount of damage that his body had sustained from the gun fight against Soundwave and then Megatron. So he just stayed on the ground and looked up towards the large Mech. “Was threre anything that you said true? That you are going to remove slavery and the caste system from Cybertron?” Orion asked Megatron. He was still hoping that his ‘friend’ was going to keep at least some of the promises that he had made during his many speeches that he had done in both Kaon and Iacon. The speeches that saw him gaining more support all over Cybertron. Had they all been lies to get what he wanted. To be the new ruler of Cybertron.

“When I have complete control of Cybertron, there will be nothing from the old Cybertron. I will lead a campaign that will remove all the weaklings from Cybertron. Until there is only the strongest. It will be the will of the strong over the weakest. The way it is supposed to be. Not this system were if you have enough Credits and Energon that could get you what you want. I will remove all the weaklings that have been allowed to survive since the last Quintessons Invasion of Cybertron. But do not worry Orion I am sure that we can come to a new agreement.” Megatron explained to Orion. He kept his optics locked onto Orion. He smirked that Orion was no longer trying to get back up to his feet. “Work for me and help the Decepticon cause that you have helped to start!” Megatron replied to Orion Pax.

Orion Pax looked down to the pool of Energon that was forming underneath him before looking back up to Megatron. “I will never work with a monster like you! I would rather join the Well of Allsparks than become a monster like you!” he snapped back at Megatron.

Megatron chuckled as he raised his arm with the ion canon on it. “Then there is no need for you in the New World Order that I am creating from the ashes of the old one!” Megatron stated as he powered up his canon once again. He fired his icon weapon at Orion Pax who had just kept staring at him as he waited for the death blow. The blast hit Orion Pax close to his Spark Chamber, but not close enough to cause instant death for the small red and blue Mech. 

Orion had felt the blast to his chassis. The blast was strong enough to force Orion to go into a stasis lock. The force of the blast was also strong enough to break the wall that was between him and Nightshade. 

“Orion?!” 

Orion heard Nightshade’s voice through their Sibling Bond. He could feel her exhaustion from her side of their bond. Even with that she was shielding his Spark from the pain that was coming from his wounds. “Nightshade? Where, where are you?” he asked the Drakeian he had seen as a sister since he found her all those years ago when they had both been young.

“I’m heading to Cybertron right now. Ratchet and a femme called Ariel had called me saying that you were in trouble. I will be there as soon as I can.” Nightshade replied over the sibling bond.

“Ariel did not mention that she called you. Neither did Ratchet. I should have listened to them. Never trust a con.” He said to her.

Nightshade blocked her side of the bond for a brief second before she fully returned. She somehow felt more confident in herself than the last time that had communicated with each other. He had no idea that traveling the stars would do that. 

“Hold on as long as you can. I have called Ratchet that you have been attacked and he is heading there. He will be there before I get there. Just hold on. Because if you offline I am dragging you out of the Well to send you back.” She told him.

“There is no way for a Spark to be ripped away from the Well of Allsparks. So I will be safe from this new you.” He laughed in good humour towards Nightshade and she returned it with her own.

“You have no idea what I can do now, Pax!” she warned before she went back into her side of the sibling bond.

“You beast!” Orion heard Ariel scream in the real world. He couldn’t even online his optics to see what was going on, but he got a feeling of what was going on. A second later he heard Megatron firing his weapon at Ariel.

“Collect as much Energon as you can carry and get back to Kaon. And burn this place to the ground!” Megatron ordered his followers before he transformed back into his tank form and got away from the destruction that he had just left behind. That was before the world went black.


	9. The Guardians

Planet: Skalorr

Nightshade’s claws slashed at the faceless head of the attacking rock monster that had came out of nowhere. The young Drakeian then dropped to the ground as the giant tock creature covered its face with its huge hands. She could just make out the scratch marks that her claws had left on the creature’s face as it covered its wounded face with its huge hands. 

She ignored the monsters roaring as she blasted it with a high voltage of black lightning. The monster roared in more pain as the undead magic smashed right into it. It did not face against her this time. It was quick to flee the Drakeian who was so much smaller than it. It did not care that the black lightning had stopped it just had the basic instinct to get away from her. 

Nightshade did not have time to recover from her first attack with the only creatures that were on the planet when she was attacked by another creature. The massive creature had given her no warning as it ruby tackled her to the ground. She grunted when one of wings was trapped under her body as she was trapped under the rock creatures’ own body as it took revenge on her for attacking the much smaller rock creature. She looked up to the creature to see that it was much larger and stronger than the last rock creature that she had been fighting. Nightshade growled before she kicked it off of her with her back legs. The rock creature was once again roaring, this time it was enraged that she was still fighting back. Getting back to her feet, Nightshade stood as tall as she could stand but she was still not as tall as the rock creature that she was fighting. Being no bigger than a minibot she was smaller than most Cybertronians, but what she lacked in size and strength she made up in speed and power.

The massive creature recovered after being kicked off of her and its faceless head was turned to face towards Nightshade. It too was standing as tall as he could stand as it looked down at the much smaller Drakeian.

Nightshade and the rock creature stared at each other. All around them there was still fights going on between the other Guardians and the rock creatures that inhabited the planet that was first thought to not be able to support life. The battle roars of both Guardians and the rock creatures was joined by the explosions from the Guardians weapons as they pushed back the rock creatures that were attacking them. 

Nightshade was brought back to the rock creature that she was fighting when it gave out a loud roar just as it lunged towards her. Its huge hands almost got her, but she was able to move quickly. She melted into the shadows beneath its feet and get out of the way of its attack just before it got her. The rock creature was surprised from the sudden move that she just pulled. It looked around itself but did not see her emerging out of the shadows from behind it. Nightshade then swept her tail under its legs and watched as the being made of stone fell to the ground.

“It will be fun, he says! It is a dead planet that has no life on it! He says!” Nightshade growled to herself when she found herself fighting another rock creature. The rock creature had waited until the second one that she was fighting to be taken down before it made a move against her. Nightshade took to the air with a flap of her wings to be hovering at the same height as it’s faceless head. “This is not fun, and this is not a dead planet!” she roared before she head butted the rock creature. She folded her wings close to her body and dropped onto the rock creature’s chest and looked into what she assumed was its eye. Red optics glowing brightly as she allowed black lightning sparks to spark around her teeth in the warning. The rock creature was smart in just staying down and allowing Nightshade to jump back to the grassy ground.

When all four paws touch the ground, Nightshade looked around. The rock creatures had been used by Kronos since they had first arrived on the planet. He had used their size and strength to build his latest machines of mass destruction. This was always Kronos’s plan. Invade a planet and force the native creatures to do his bidding while he either stays in his lab or makes off to the next planet were, he will repeat his plans again. As always the Guardians were not far behind him that it was slowly becoming really annoying. It always felt that they were two steps behind them. This had been more of the case after their last encounter with him. An encounter that had both scared him and Nightshade with new battle scars. 

After her last and first fight with Kronos he had not been seen on the battlefield. For all she knew Kronos and the other Titans may have already left the planet leaving the Guardians to deal with the rock creatures that they had enslaved. It was something that the cyborg was beginning to use as his main tactic in getting away from them. To say that it was getting annoying was an understatement as Nightshade watched as the Guardians rounded up the rest of the rock creatures.

The various creatures who were under her command had at first were not used to being around each, that Nightshade was scared that she was not going to be able to what was being asked of her: stopping the Titans from destroying all of reality and building an empire out of what was left. It sounded easy but when she had to top up gathering a force to help stop that she thought the ancestors were crazy for asking her to do this. They were asking something that had not been done before. Uniting different lifeforms together for the same cause. Again, it sounded easy at first, but when she had started to travel around the universe meeting strange and wonderful creatures she had quickly found that this mission that was given to her was going to be hard. They said that her ancestors had done it, but that had been so long ago that many planets and civilizations had come and gone. There was not a lot of races out there that remembered the Drakeians, only a few Cybertronians really remembered that they were real rather than creatures of myths. That they were not just stories that had been told during the Quentisons invasion of Cybertron and then occupation of Cybertron. 

“Nightshade watch out!” 

The warning came too late and she did not react in time. A rock creature had snuck up on her when she had been watching the other Guardians. The large creature had taken the advantage of her distraction to find a large rock and then with its strength flung it towards her. Nightshade took the rock to the left side of her head. Roaring in pain from the still healing scar that was down the left side of her head.

Nightshade covered her head with her wings as she tried to regain composure from the sudden pain sensation. She felt the sibling bond with Orion shiver. The both of them were going through great amount of pain at the same time and this was causing both of them to fell more pain than they should have. She was felling a pain in her torso where she knew that there was no damage at all. A pain sensation that was coming from Orion’s side of the bond. The problem only got a lot worse when the rock creature punched her exposed back. Nightshade growled as she opened her wings as fast as she could. Her extra limbs smacked the rock creature’s chest as she used them to get the rock creature away from her. Taken to the air, Nightshade blasted another blast of black lightning at the creature.

The rock creature covered its head with its huge arms. The creature made a strange roaring noise as it ran away from Nightshade. It kept its arms covering its head even when Nightshade stopped her attack against it. It did not even look back at her as she landed back on the ground and focused on her connection with Orion. It was made easy to contact with the Cybertronian she shared the sibling bond when she felt great pain coming from Orion’s side of the bond.

“Orion?!” she asked through the bond. She sat down on the ground and kept her optic closed as she focused on talking with him. She could just hear the footsteps of another Guardian approaching her side, no doubt to cover her as she spoke with him.

“Nightshade? Where, where are you?” Orion asked her.

Nightshade could feel Orion’s pain and anger both for himself and towards something else. Something that she never thought would come from Orion. He always liked everyone that he came into contact with. She also could not allow Orion to know where she was and what was happening. She could not allow Kronos to find out about him back on Cybertron. She could only tell him that she was coming back. “I’m heading to Cybertron right now. Ratchet and a femme called Ariel called me saying that you were in trouble. I will be there as soon as I can.” she told him.

“Ariel did not mention that she called you. Neither did Ratchet. I should have listened to them. Never trust a con.” he told her through the bond.

Nightshade blocked her side of the bond very quickly. What had happened in the matter of hours that she had last spoken with Ratchet and Ariel? Nightshade opened her red optics and saw that it was Dragonstorm who was standing beside her and keeping her covered as she contacted Orion.

She pressed the communicator on the right side of her head with a metal claw. “Moonray, I need you to open a line with the Iacon Medic, Ratchet.” she ordered the artificial intelligence that ran all of the Guardians systems. 

“Connecting with Medic Ratchet just now.” Moonray replied back to Nightshade. A second later it was not Moonray who was talking to Nightshade it was Ratchet.

“You better have a good reason for calling me!” grumbled the medic. “I have so many calls around Cybertron telling me that the Decepticons have been attacking anyone and everyone in the street! So this better be good whoever you are?”

Nightshade looked towards Dragonstorm who was fighting a rock creature with his sword. The large mech was keeping the creature from getting to her with her defences down. Quickly she got back to Ratchet. “Ratchet it’s Nightshade. Orion has been attacked at the docks and is in need of medical assistance. I am on my way to Cybertron as soon as I quickly get finish somethings here.” she quickly explained to the medic.

Ratchet grumbled on his end of the call. “I still don’t understand how you two made a sibling bond. I am heading to the docks just now. Just get to Cybertron as quickly as you can and whack some sense back into Orion’s processors.” Ratchet told her before he ended the call between the two of them. 

Nightshade seeing that her call with Ratchet was over opened the bond between her and Orion quickly. “Hold on as long as you can. I have called Ratchet that you have been attacked and he is heading there. He will be there before I get there. Just hold on. Because if you offline I am dragging you out of the Well to send you back.”

“There is no way for a Spark to be ripped away from the Well of Allsparks. So I will be safe from this new you.” he laughed in good humour towards Nightshade and she returned it with her own.

“You have no idea what I can do now, Pax!” she warned him before she went back into her side of the sibling bond.

Nightshade opened her optics and stood up off the ground. She looked towards Dragonstorm to see that he was watching her closely.

“Nightshade? Are you alright?” asked the Cybertronian who had warned her of the rock creature. He fired his rifle at the retreating rock creature as Nightshade landed back on the ground beside her. “That was a bad hit. Maybe you should see Shockblast when we get back to the Valiant?” He stated to her as he watched as her blue lifeforce slowly seeped out from the once again damaged left side of her face.

The dragon like Drakeian sighed as she watched the rock creatures being forced back to the mountains that they had called home before Kronos had showed up. The Guardians may not have numbered a lot, but they worked well together now that they had more time to fight alongside each other. She looked further up the mountain to see that there was a group of the rock creatures just standing together as they watched the Guardians fight against others of their kind. They were the rock creatures that they had already faced and had retreated back into the safety of their mountain home. The rock creatures were no doubt scared of the Guardians just being the same as they were scared of the Titans. To the rock creatures the Guardians and the Titans were just the same. They were aliens not from Skalorr who had come to their planet and attacked everything as soon as they made planetfall. If they kept this up, the rock creatures may just keep fighting until they were all dead. That was something that she could not allow, it would just make her as bad as Kronos.

“Guardians fall back!” she ordered them. With a powerful flap of her wings she took to the air but it was slower than her normal speed. Her wings were still sore after being attacked by the rock creature. In the air she resorted just flapping her wings a few times and resorting to using her tail fin more than she would have before. 

Beside her Dragonstorm transformed into his dragon mode and followed after her. On the ground she heard the Ghoul, Eddie calling for a fall back for those who had not heard her given the order. With both of Dragonstorm and Eddie at her side she had managed to lead the Guardians to be what they could always be; not just a team but a family. A very strange, mismatched family of creatures of all shapes and sizes. A family that had Cybertronians and also a few organic races from all across the galaxy.

“Why are we falling back?” Dragonstorm asked her as he came to fly beside her. He glided beside her as they retreat to the Guardians’ flagship, the Valiant. One of his heads looked towards the Drakeian while the other head was looking ahead as they went back to the massive ship that the Guardians had in their fleet of three ships. His yellow optics on both heads either surveying the area ahead of him or were studying the young Drakeian who had recovered slightly from her fight with the rock creatures.

“We are not these creatures’ enemies. If we keep fighting them Kronos will use this time to get away from us and do this to another planet. We have to keep on his tail and put a stop to his plans.” Nightshade explained to the Cybertronian who had been with her through all of training and then when she went out in the galaxy when she knew what she was doing. He had helped her in her first fights and even after a couple of years of fighting and leading the Guardians he was still at her side.

Dragonstorm hummed and had both heads look straight ahead. “It does make sense. Since you defeated and wounded him in the Medusa Cascade he has not been seen. Just his beasts that he creates or the ones that he has enslaved. You must have damaged more than his pride in that fight! A fight that the Time Lords have no doubt noticed and knowing them it won’t be too long before they are sticking their necks into our business.” he responded back her.

“If we keep fighting and killing those creatures,” Nightshade said as she looked down to the ground below them where the Guardians were pulling away and the rock creatures were fleeing at the sight of the two fliers above them, “then we are no better than Kronos and the Titans” she said looking back towards Dragonstorm. “And wouldn’t having the Time Lords on our side by a great advantage to us against the Titans?” she asked him. 

Dragonstorm snorted in response. “Of course. These creatures are just being used by Kronos and are defending their home. I can see the logic behind their attacks, even when all we were doing was helping with the damage that the Titans had caused. And no, having the Time Lords involved would only cause more problems than good. They will no doubt but their authority and get us involved in the Time Lord Council on what we can and cannot do. The best thing is for them to stay out of our way and we will stay out of their way.” Dragonstorm replied to her.

Nightshade was quite as she glided beside the much larger Cybertronian. She enjoyed flying. To fell the wind against her wings and to hear it rushing past her horns it was a feeling that she did not get much when she was on Cybertron unless she snuck out of the Archives late at night when there was little traffic was going on at the time. Here on a dead planet where the only locals were rock creatures she could fly as much as she wanted without having to be told off by an annoyed older mech and a youngling who did not like to make risks or get into trouble for bending the rules slightly.

In the distance she could see the Valiant hovering just above the ground. It’s massive engines made loud humming noises as it hovered above the ruined city that lay underneath. The ruins of an abounded city was just underneath the Guardians flagship. The city had been left in a hurry. No doubt the residents had left because of the sun. The sun which was little too large for her liking. She looked back at the Valiant which was preparing to take off as soon as the Guardians who were out of on the field got back on board. Then they would leave to the next location in hopes of getting closer to the Titans and Kronos. 

The two Guardians entered the Valiant through the open hanger door. Nightshade folded her wings in close to her body and landed gentle in the hanger. Her metal claws making a tapping noise as she landed. Beside her Dragonstorm had landed on the ground in his robot mode after transforming back into it in the air. He landed with a louder metallic thud beside her. The large Cybertronian looked down at the Drakeian who was no larger than a minibot with concern in his optics.

“Are you sure you are alright Nightshade?” Dragonstorm asked her as he avoided stepping on the human sized aliens that were working inside the hanger of the Valiant. “You have been acting strange for some time. Is it to do with Kronos getting away? Are you more wounded than you are letting on? Should I tell Shockblast to see you in the medbay?” he asked her as he followed her out of the hanger bay.

Nightshade stopped and looked towards the large mech who had been with her for the years that she had been away from Cybertron. She trusted him as much as she trusted either Orion Pax or Alpha Trion, but unlike them she knew Dragonstorm could cover her in the middle of a battle. Something that Orion Pax and Alpha Trion could not do. “I just have a nagging feeling in the back of my mind. I am sure that it is nothing too important but at the same time it is constantly there.” Nightshade explained to Dragonstorm. 

The black and purple mech only stared at Nightshade and folded his arms across his chassis. “Surely you can do better than that. Since that phone call from the medic, you have been pacing all over the place. Especially when we have not been fighting either the Titans or those rock creatures for the past week. So, I will ask you again: are you sure you are alright?” he addressed her as a black and silver mech rolled towards them on the tires on his feet.

“No, I am not. Ratchet told me that Orion has gotten into something that he really should have stayed out of, and now he is getting threatened by thugs and Enforcers alike. You know him, he isn’t a fighter!” she replied back to Dragonstorm as the other mech stopped beside her.

“I do. I know that he is as stubborn as you and will not stop until he gets what he is after. Unlike you he cannot manipulate shadows and has an army of not only Cybertronians but other lifeforms around the universe.” Dragonstorm replied to Nightshade.

“Also, you have a few mechs from another dimension complete different to this dimension.” spoke the black and silver mech who had come to stand beside her. He had appeared without a sound from his feet since he kept skating about on his wheels even in robot mode.

Both Nightshade and Dragonstorm looked towards the other mech who had appeared out of nowhere. “What? I just heard the tail end of what you two were talking about. So, don’t blame me if I have the wrong idea of the conversation that you were having.” Sideswipe argued with them. His blue optics looking between Nightshade and Dragonstorm as the two of looked between each other. Sideswipe clapped his hands together as he followed the two natives of this dimension back to the bridge where they would no doubt continue this conversation that they were having before Nightshade disappeared into her office with Dragonstorm going to his own office. “So, what are we talking about?” he asked them as he rolled beside Nightshade.

“I was recently contacted by the medic, Ratchet from Cybertron,” Nightshade started to explain but when she saw the look of recognition on Sideswipe’s faceplate she was quick to carry, “He is an old friend of mine that I trust him with my life. He has told me that there is some trouble brewing in Cybertron that he hopes doesn’t escalate like what has happened in your dimension.” she reassured the Autobot from the other dimension.

Sideswipe’s entire body trembled as he remembered the escalation of violence that Megatron, the lord protector of Cybertron was leading. He remembered the final hours on Cybertron with his brother Sideswipe when a bright light had blinded him for a brief second. That brief second had been all that it took for his entire world to be changed. He was flung into another dimension and into another war. A war unlike the war back in his dimension that was just for one planet, this was for the whole multiverse. He knew that he had to do his part to defend his whole dimension and so he joined the Guardians. That had been three years ago. He didn’t know if Sunstreaker was still alive or if the other Autobots knew that he was still alive. He did not want them to just assumed that he had been killed in action and that they were just going to move on like for many other falling warriors.

“Don’t worry Sideswipe, we will find a way to send you back to your dimension. But right now, we still don’t know how the Titans managed to rip a whole between two dimensions. From what I can gather from what the Moonray had told us was that Kronos was experimenting on trans dimensional travel, but it was just a one-time wounder. With what I have to say is lucky for us.” Nightshade had reassured the Autobot from the different reality. 

Sideswipe looked towards Nightshade. “I’m sorry Nightshade. I don’t want to sound ungrateful for saving me when I came here. I, uh I just want to make sure that my brother and my friends are save. There is a war still going on there!” he said to her as all three of them entered the bridge of the Valiant. 

“I don’t blame you Sideswipe, and I understand. I truly do. If I found myself in another dimension I would try and find a way back to my dimension.” Nightshade told Sideswipe. “And like I said to you before I am not forcing you or anyone else to be a Guardian. It is your choice if you want to remain or leave. I am not a slave master.” Nightshade reassured him.

Sideswipe sighed and looked out the massive viewports of the Valliant’s bridge. He watched in silence as the Guardians flagship left the planet where they had once again encountered the Titans. He looked back to Nightshade to see that she was now talking with the Ghoul, Eddie. He watched in silence as he along with Dragonstorm began to argue about the issue that they were arguing about earlier.

“We have the Titans on the retreat! Now isn’t the time to stop this advantage that we have gotten! Especially with all the blood and Energon that has been spilled?” argued Eddie as Sideswipe joined Dragonstorm in listening to the Ghoul ranting away.

“I know that Eddie. But something is going on in Cybertron and I need to check if Orion is alright.” Nightshade told the Ghoul who was the shortest member of the Guardians with her just being slightly taller than him. Eddie was just as tall as the shortest minibot. “But I also need to make sure that Orion is alright. After all I have already told him that I am on my way back to Cybertron.” she continued to explain to the three of them. 

“Wasn’t it you who told us not to get involved in other planets and their governments? Only deal with the Titans and then get out as the Titans move onto the next planet.” Dragonstorm stated back to her. “And from what it sounds like the Titans are not on Cybertron!”

Nightshade looked towards the older Cybertronian before she looked back out of the large viewport. They were already exiting the solar system of the planet where they had last encountered the Titans. The Artificial Intelligence the Moonray was piloting the great space vessel away from the planet there was little need for a large crew to maintain the ship other than to repair the ship along with the massive guns. Mainly the Guardians themselves done the repairs of the Valiant. “I know. It is to keep everything as simple as possible. But I still need to make sure that Orion is fine.” Nightshade explained to them. She looked back round to the other Guardians to see that they all looked annoyed with her. “Look I will be quick to see what is going on and leave to meet up with you before the Titans make their next movies. We all saw how hard they were hit last time so we can assume that they will be out of action for some time.” She continued to explain to them. “Now is a time to see to our own wounds and to get ready for the Titans next move.” she told them all. 

A purple and green mech who was at one of the Valliant’s controls turned around to face them. His one yellow optic glowing brightly as he looked towards Nightshade. “Going down this path may allow Kronos to take advantage of you and use Orion Pax as a weapon against you. He does not know that when you were growing up you were raised on Cybertron along with Orion Pax all he knows was you appeared out of nowhere. It would be best for everyone for you to stay away from Cybertron and Orion Pax.” 

“Thank you Shockblast for your input. But I have made up my mind. I won’t be gone for long, and Kronos will be to focused on repairing the damage that has been done to him.” She said to the one optic mech who had been with her and Dragonstorm for some time since they had restarted the Guardians. She then looked towards the dragonformer Cybertronian. “Until I get back Dragonstorm you are in charge” she told him.

Nightshade did not give them a time to react or say anything else she was already walking away from them. Her metal claws clicked against the metal floor of the ship as she walked away from the out bridge of the Valiant. The doors snapped shut behind her tail as soon as it was over the threshold. She passed by the many other creatures that made up the Guardians. They all kept out of her way. None of them wanted to get accidentally slashed by her claws when she walked past them.

She came into a room were there was a massive tunnel. Her metal claws kept clicking against the metal floor with every step as her optics focused ahead of her. “Moonray open a space bridge to the Iacon Hall of Archives!” she ordered the AI that controlled all the Guardians system.

“Can you at least listen to reason? For years you have kept little contact with Cybertron, only them getting in touch with you with limited messages and the same thing with you. Going to Cybertron may put everyone’s lives in danger. So, going to Cybertron just now just doesn’t seem like a good idea going to Cybertron especially right now with the Titans on the run. Kronos being Kronos will no doubt be angry and will lash out at you.” The Moonray said as she opened up a space bridge.

The greenish blueish vortex came to live before Nightshade, and she looked into the spinning vortex before her. The vortex that would take her back to Cybertron in just a step. This technology of travel had been lost to Cybertron for many years. The Guardians had kept the technology and had been able to use it to get from planet to planet as they chase after the Titans.

“I know Moonray. But you don’t understand the feelings that I am feeling through the sibling bond with Orion. I have never felt this pain before.” Nightshade explained to the AI as she still kept looking at the open space bridge to Cybertron.

“Have you got your mental walls up?” the Moonray asked her.

“Yeah. They are all up. But still I can feel Orion’s pain and fear on the other side of the bond. I just need to make sure that he is alright. Once I am sure that everything is fine, I will come right back.” Nightshade told the Moonray. She started to walk towards the open space bridge. She could not hear her metal claws clicking against the metal floor over the humming of the space bridge.

The Moonray was silent as Nightshade walked towards the open space bridge that was going to take her back to Cybertron. “Just come back once you know everything is fine. I fear the Guardians will kill each other if you are not here!” the Moonray told Nightshade.

Nightshade stopped just before she entered the space bridge. “I will try and be back as soon as possible.” she said to the AI. She then stepped into the swirling vortex. Her tail was out of view from within the Valiant when the space bridge snapped shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, so before you shoot me let me explain what is going on here. So the characters that have been introduced here are my own characters, well Nightshade, Eddie, the Moonray, Kronos along with the Guardians and Titans. I will explain the Guardians and the Titans: so, they are like the Autobots and Decepticons fighting each other. The Titans want to create an empire and enslave all the races of the galaxy under their rule. The Guardians are following after the Titans and stopping them before they can do anything to harsh other than enslaving a planet for a short time before they show. The Titans are not going to play a big role in the series but they will be mentioned in certain points. The same will go for the Guardians. 
> 
> The other characters that are in this chapter, Dragonstorm and Sideswipe, they are already known characters from other Transformers series. Dragonstorm is named after the dragon knight Transformer from The Last Knight movie, but unlike the movie version he is much like Megatron from Robots in Disguise (2001) with more than one alt mode, there is a story to that will be explained later on. Sideswipe is the Sideswipe from the movie series from design to characteristics. For him again there is a story and it has to do with the Titans and Guardians fighting each other. I had first thought to make Sideswipe be the Sideswipe from the Shattered Glass universe but I changed to Shockblast who is the Shockwave from the Shattered Glass universe which again has links with the Titans and Guardians fighting each other.
> 
> It has been a while since I have done an A/N in this story and I know this has been a longer note than any previous once before. Like I said this was to introduce my own characters and a plot line that will be later used in the Infinity Avengers series. This is just to explain what will be happening a little bit further down the line with this part of the storyline. So Nightshade has already been introduced in earlier chapters but it’s so far not been on her side of things but now she has introduced is the leader of the Guardians, my own characters who will be appearing later on in the series that I am doing at the moment, Infinity Avengers. This includes the Titans who are also my own creation. These characters will play a role in the series that I am currently redoing at the moment, Infinity Avengers. I have decided to add War for Cybertron into Infinity Avengers as it will lead into Redemption of a Fallen Warrior which will also be getting redone to due time.


	10. The Autobot Commanders Meeting

Autobot base, Iacon- Cybertron

Optimus Prime onlined his optics and stared up at the golden ceiling of his quarters within the Autobot base in Iacon. He allowed his processor to process over everything that had happened in the last couple of months since the war began. This was the only time that he was allowed to just be on his own. Since he began Prime he had very little time to himself that it was very rare that he could be Orion Pax rather than being Optimus Prime the leader of the Autobots. The only times that he was allowed to have sometime to himself was during his sleep cycle and just as soon as he woke up. He had been the first Prime to have earned the Matrix of Leadership rather than being given it in many years. He unlike Sentinel Prime was being guided by the Primes of old rather than being guided by his own greed and the credits of his friends. He was glad that they were guiding him rather than corrupt noblemechs who wanted to have everything go back to the way it was before the war had broken out. He had never thought when he was studying under Alpha Trion in the Iacon Hall of Records that he would be the next Prime chosen by Primus himself. When he was young he had read the stories of the original thirteen Primes back in the Iacon Archives; but he never thought that he was going to be a Prime himself. He had always just been Orion Pax. Now he was Optimus Prime leader of the Autobots.

He shuttered his optics as he cleared his thoughts. There was no point in worrying about what had happened to him when all Cybertron was at war. He onlined his optics to look up at the ceiling once again. He needed to get the day started. He had a lot of things that he needed to get done. There was the mountain of paperwork that always seemed to grow no matter how many hours he sits in his office and does the work. There was also the training in how to fight that Ironhide had arranged for him. The older mech had been in more fights than him and even though he had all the knowledge of the Primes he was still new to having his body move in the way that war demanded it to move. No matter what he was doing he was the leader of the Autobots and the Autobots needed their leader more than ever, especially now that Megatron had command of a great amount of the military forces, especially the Seekers.

Sitting up on his bed he looked around his quarters. His quarters may have been the largest quarters in the base given his rank within the army, but it had very little personal effects unlike the other officers in the Autobot forces. There was his very basic bed against one wall and a desk on another. His desk was well organised with only had a few datapads that contained vital information from the medics, the armoury, and other departments within the Autobot base and army that needed his attention. Having spent many years in the Iacon Archives had helped with the amount of paperwork that he was having to do as Prime. Also, on his desk was two holopictures. One of them was of him and Elita One, back when both of them were known as Orion Pax and Ariel. The other holopicture was of him, as Orion Pax with Nightshade. It had been taken just before Nightshade had left Cybertron for her travels across the galaxy.

Also in his quarters was a rack that was holding his weapons: his Ion Blaster and his Energon axe. The two weapons that had already seen enough combat in the last few weeks to last Orion Pax for the rest of his life. For Optimus Prime it was his baptism by fire. He was no longer the dock worker and assistant to Alpha Trion. He was now the leader of the Autobots.

His communication system beeped altering him that someone wanted to speak to him. He vented air through his vents knowing that his alone time was gone before he could appreciate it. He should take ever victory when they came into that his sleep cycle was not interrupted with someone who wanted to speak to him. 

Activating his comm. system he was alerted that it was Jazz who was calling him. Out of all the mechs that were in the Autobot command he was the unusual mech. He was very different to the other commanders. He was a mech that he trusted to get the job done and bring everyone home. //Prime here!// he said into his comm. with Jazz. He stood up off his bed and walked towards his desk and picked up one of the datapads. He activated it to see his personal schedule for around the base.

//Prime, old Ultra Magnus is ready to give his reports. And by reports I mean large reports that are too large for this time in the day cycle.// Jazz began to explain. Optimus couldn’t help but feel worry creeping into his processor. Ultra Magnus always liked very detailed reports that were so long that he even had brother going over them. That also moved over to the meetings that the mech arranged. His meetings and reports were then made worse when Prowl or Red Alert added to them. The three mechs were good at what they did, but they sometimes done it too well that involved a lot of paperwork. Especially with Red Alert involved, he was paranoid about the littlest thing. //He says that it is important for all officers ta meet up and discuss what he has to say// responded Jazz on the other line of the communication system that all the officers had. 

The Vossian had been one of the first Cybertronians to join the Autobots and work his way up the ranks to become the Head of Special Operations and one of the high officers within the Autobots. He like many other Autobots had joined the ranks when they had heard that a Prime chosen by the Matrix itself was leading the Autobots. 

Optimus vented air through his vents as he put his Datapad back into his subspace. This was already beginning to become a day that he was going to dread. //Has he mentioned what the reason of this meeting is?// he asked the visored head of special operations.

//Nope. He’s not mentioned a thing. Says that it is important to have a meeting. And that he wants all the officers to meet concerning about it// Jazz informed Optimus.

Optimus was walking towards his quarter’s door. The door sensing his approach slid open and he was out into the long corridor of the officers’ quarters part of the base. There was very few mechs and femmes who had been made into officers of the Autobots. They were a rather young military force having coming branched off from Cybertron’s main military force when Megatron had gained a lot of support from the military expect for a few divisions. He walked in silence towards the meeting room. His audios picked up the voices of other Autobots close by a they walked about the base in either going to another part of the base or going back to their quarters after being on the night shift. One his way to the meeting room he passed by many Autobots as they went about their morning routines. He nodded his helm towards them as he passed them. They either nodded their helms in response with a few saying “Sir!” or “Prime!”. 

He passed the infamous twins, Sunstreaker and Sideswipe. They were both heading to the washrooms to clean up after being on the night shift. He had heard Sunstreaker complaining before he saw them. He ignored the yellow frontliners rant, it was not his business nor did he want to get involved in Sunstreaker’s need to preen all the time. Most of the twins arguments were about how they looked or how many Decepticons they had brought down with their new tactic that they had come up with: jet judo. Jet judo always saw them winding up in the med bay much to the annoyance of the medics, but at the same time their insane attack meant that there was either two or free Seekers who were no longer in the air.

Optimus saw that Sunstreaker was about to speak to him as they were getting closer. His brother, Sideswipe stopped him. “Prime!” he greeted with a smile on his faceplates as he pushed his brother away from the tall Prime. Optimus kept walking and his audios picked up the brothers arguing about some little thing that bothered the yellow frontliner.

It did not take him long to get to the meeting room after crossing past the ‘terror twins’ that Jazz had taken to calling them after all the pranks they had pulled in the base. Especially to Prowl and Red Alert, those two mechs were the prime targets for the twins pranks. Optimus had spent a lot of his time in the meeting room, it was his second room after his private quarters and office which were deeper in the base. The amount of hours he spend in the meeting room was getting annoying. He was beginning to really want to face Megatron on the battlefield and end the war that way. He was nowhere near as skilled as him, but he wanted to prove to the rest of Cybertron that needed during this difficult time. 

The door of the meeting room sensed his approach. He was a step away from walking into the door that it slid open allowing him to walk into the meeting room. Already in the early hours of the morning all the officers were already gathered in the meeting room. His officers were just waiting for him to arrive, after all he had not been due to come to this meeting. He had once again a mountain of paperwork that he needed to sign and he also got a message from Praxus that was telling him that they did not want anything to do with the war at all costs. That was what he was going to accept for the city state, he was not like Megatron and allowing the neutral city states to remain neutral in this war. 

He looked around the round table in the meeting room to see that Ultra Magnus was already sitting at his seat which was next to his that was still empty. The larger mech was looking over two datapads, his optics flicking between the two datapads. A half-filled Energon cube was in front of him to the side at an easy reach for him as he casual read over what was happening in the datapads. 

On the other side of Optimus’s chair was Elita-One. The femme commander was talking to her second in command Chromia over their comm. system network that Blaster had set up for them. Elita had made the femmes one of the finest units within the Autobot army. The femmes had become a unit that was send out on stealth missions and also quick attack missions against the Decepticons. A few times she and her femmes had helped the frontliners in raiding Energon convoys that the Decepticons had going back to Kaon.

Also sitting at the table was the head of security, Red Alert. The paranoid mech was ranting to both Prowl and Ultra Magnus. Ultra Magnus was not paying attention to what Red Alert was saying. He was focused on reading the two datapads that were in front of him, he did hum when he thought was the best time to respond back to the paranoid head of security. Prowl was the only one who was really listening to what Red Alert was saying and he voiced up what he thought was the best course with what Red Alert was saying. He couldn’t hear what Red Alert was saying to the two of them, but he had a feeling that it was something about a flaw in security that he had discovered. It was clearly something that had already been discussed earlier from the glances that Elita-One was given the Head of Security as she talked to Chromia who was elsewhere in the base. 

Also, at the table was Jazz and Ironhide. The Head of Special Operations and Weapon Specialist were having their own conversation, no doubt Ironhide was listening to Jazz poking fun at Red Alert in being too paranoid for his own good. He watched Jazz as the visored mech leaned right back in his seat with a relaxed look on his faceplates. 

Optimus walked past his officers and took his seat at the head of the table. “I apologise for arriving late. I did not know that this meeting was happening so early in the day cycle.” Optimus informed them as he sat down on his chair. He brought out his Datapad from his subspace before placing it down on the table before him. “Ultra Magnus, I understand that there is something of great importance that you wish to discus with us?” he asked his friend who was one of the officers who already had military experience before this war with the Decepticons broke out.

“I do. Megatron is stepping up with all the war crimes that he has committed so far. Jazz’s team has discovered that Megatron is planning to attack a convey that is filled with younglings and Femmes who are trying to get within the walls of Iacon.” Ultra Magnus responded as he looked from Optimus to Jazz who nodded his helm.

Optimus turned his attention to Jazz. The Head of Special Operations was still leaning back in his chair with the relaxed expression on his faceplates. It was hard to tell if his optics were online or offline because of that visor that was always glowing blue. “Old Magnus is right, boss bot. Old Megatron is planning an attack on a convey of Femmes and younglings who had been trapped in the borders of Iacon and are now coming to the centre of Iacon in seeking sanctuary and projection from Megatron and his Decepticreeps.” he explained to Optimus along with the other commanders.

“What is Megatron hoping to achieve with getting these younglings and Femmes? Surely there is no point in getting them?” Elita-One asked. She looked up from her Datapad towards the other commanders of the Autobots forces. She and the Femmes under her command had already rescued many naturals who were just trying to get away from the conflict that was happening all over Cybertron. Many of the neutrals had come to Iacon in hopes of getting protected by a Prime chosen by Primus himself. Already they had set up many safe homes all across Cybertron that was away from the many battlefields across Cybertron.

“Slave labour. He can force the femmes and the younglings into working in the factories to create the war machines that Shockwave has created. They can also be used as cannon fodder and be used to help push back our lines or even Megatron can brainwash the younglings to become soldiers in the frontlines which is not better than being cannon fodder against our forces.” Prowl put in his suggestion to what Megatron was planning with the new group that was entering Iacons borders. He looked towards the femme commander with a neutral look on his faceplates as he ran through all the things that Megatron can do this group of neutrals. 

Elita-One growled and her engine revved as she thought of all the lives that had either been lost or changed drastically because of the war and Megatron’s greed. Her life along with Optimus’s lives had been changed so much that they were no longer the Cybertronians that they had once been. “I would have thought that years of being a slave, a miner and then a gladiator would put Megatron off enslaving others. Why would he do such a horrible thing?” she asked anyone in particular.

“Megatron seems to be putting his anger out on all of Cybertron. Both on the battlefield and with any prisoners of war that he or his forces capture.” Optimus spoke up as he remembered the mech he had meet in the Pits of Kaon. He had fallen for the words that he had been telling Cybertron and because of it he had allowed Megatron to get close to the last Prime and kill him. Then he had declared war on all of Cybertron as he declared himself the true Lord of Cybertron. It had been because of his foolishness that had plunged Cybertron into the war that was consuming all of the Energon all across the planet. It had also seen him becoming the next Prime. 

Before all of this he had been content with just being Orion Pax. He had lived a simple enough life with working at the docks and having his own private library back at the Iacon Hall of Archive. He had been happy with reading the historic texts about the Primes of old. He had never thought that he would become one of the Primes. A Prime that would no doubt go into the history books as either being the hero of Cybertron or an evil monster who had prevented the rise of Lord Megatron. He would rather go back to the docks and work there. It was a lot easier than leading an army.

“From what else that my contacts with the ‘cons ranks are telling me is that Megatron is now looking to build an empire.” Jazz explained to them.

“An empire! You mean Cybertron is not the only planet that is going to be faced with his armies?” asked Elita-One looking towards the black and white Vossian. Jazz was still looking relaxed, but he know had a datapad out from his subspace. She then looked towards Optimus beside her. “You know he must be stopped! Megatron will destroy everything if he is allowed to leave the planet!” she told him.

“I know. Megatron has destroyed so much of Cybertron already and I cannot allow this to keep going on. Megatron must be stopped!” he told the other commanders.

“Maybe it will be good if Megatron leaves Cybertron and conquers another planet?” suggested Red Alert gaining everyone’s attention. The red and white security chief looked towards Optimus Prime. He ignored the glances that the other commanders were given him because of his suggestion. He was focused on looking at the young Prime. “If Megatron leaves Cybertron, he can set up his empire well away from Cybertron and leave us alone.” he said to the young Prime.

“Are you crazy, Red? You want Megatron to plunge the rest of the galaxy into a war as long as he leaves Cybertron alone?” Ironhide snapped at him. “That won’t do any of us any good and you know that Red!”

Prowl then spoke up, “If Megatron was to leave Cybertron and conquer other planets he can built a bigger army than the army that he already has. There is the Commonwealth planets of Cybertron that are still neutral that he could invade. There is also the fact that he could invade a planet that is rich in energy so that he could make Energon cubes to fuel his army and weapons. He may be away from Cybertron, but it will only take some time before his attention returned back home and he made his move to conquer the planet. So him being away from Cybertron would only lead to more problems and those problems will be larger than the ones that we are already facing.”

“So, we leave Cybertron?” Red Alert questioned the commanders of the Autobots. “Give Megatron a dying planet and we go to another planet that is filled with enough energy or pure Energon that can support us for centuries!” he said to them all. 

All the Autobots in the meeting looked shocked to what Red Alert was suggesting. “Leave Cybertron? Such an exodus would cause too much Energon. Energon that we don’t have to leave with the entire army while also fighting the Decepticons.” Elita-One spoke in a calm tone, but there was hint of panic in her voice.

“And what is there to stop Megatron from following us? We will only be taken the war to another planet if we do leave Cybertron.” Prowl said to them. He rubbed his chin as he thought over the benefits and the disadvantages of leaving Cybertron.

Cybertron was dying. It was clear that everyone could see it. The war was draining a great deal of Energon from Cybertron’s natural resources. It was only a matter of time before both Autobots and Decepticons were fighting for a lifeless husk of dead metal. Ever last drop of Energon long gone. A planet that could no longer sustain life. How long would it really take for Cybertron to be completely dead? Was it going to be quick with the way that the war was escalating? Or was it going to be slow and painful? 

Optimus leaned back in his chair as he thought over what he was to do. He was not only the leader of the Autobots, but he was also seen as the living connection with Primus. Many Cybertronians were looking towards him for protection in these dark times and that was the reason why so many neutrals were fleeing to Iacon. Many of them were hoping that they would be under the protection of the Prime. A Prime who had been chosen by the Matrix rather than bribing his way into the position. He was going to have to make many hard decisions that were going to stay with him for a long time. 

He shuttered his optics and opened his sibling bond with Nightshade. He knew that she was on Cybertron but so far, she had not made any other move in looking for him. She did not know that he was the new Prime, so she did not think to seek the new Prime out. Instead, she was mainly keeping to shadows watching what was going on before she made her move. He knew she was mainly based in Iacon but where she was hiding, she was keeping that well hidden over the bond. The bond that she had walled up on her side of it. 

“Prime?”

He was brought out his thoughts to see that Prowl was looking towards him. His doorwings raised in the Enforcers lock at attention stance as he looked towards him. “I am sorry, Prowl. I was lost in my thoughts there. What were you just saying?” he asked his head tactician.

“What are we going to do? It would go against us to allow Megatron to get these neutrals who are entering Iacon. For him to get them he can have the younglings reprogramed into being Decepticon troopers. There is also the increasing slavery that Jazz’s spies have reported. So what are we do?” he asked the young Prime.

“First off we need to rescue the group of femmes and younglings and bring them into the safety of Iacon. Elita I wont you and your femmes to lead this operation along with Jazz and Mirage to get the civilians out of the warzone. They will trust you’re team more than a strange mech.” Optimus said to Elita-One and Jazz. He looked between Elita-One and Jazz as he gave the order. “Go and gather your teams and be ready to depart as soon as the sun sets. Use the cover of darkness to get the civilians out of danger.” He told them both.

“We will then arrange of all the civilians in all the safe houses all around Cybertron and in Iacon to be send off world. The further away from Cybertron and the war the better for them. Blaster, I want you to arrange a communication with the commonwealth planets and have them arrange for civilians to be send their way.” Optimus ordered the commanders, but his attention moved to Blaster, the Autobots communication chief.

“You got it, Prime.” Blaster responded back to Optimus. He remained in his seat at the table where he was sitting beside Jazz. 

“What if the neutrals don’t want to go to the other worlds? What if they don’t want to go to any worlds that have a past with Cybertron in case the war goes to them?” Prowl asked Optimus.

Optimus sighed as he vented air through his vents as he thought over what they were going to do. “We do not have the Energon or the resources to take the neutrals off planet. Like I said we send them to the commonwealth planets, and from there they can arrange their own transports off those planets. We must focus on keeping the Decepticons busy for as long as possible. Not unless we can end the war quickly.” Optimus replied to Prowl. He studied all of the commanders of the Autobots. All of them had different experiences that was helping in the fight against the Decepticons. Many of them did not have military experience, Elita-One, Red Alert and Blaster having no experience from even being in the Enforcers like Prowl and Jazz. Ultra Magnus and Ironhide were the only ones within the Autobot command who actually had military experience, but unlike the Seekers and Vechicons they sided with Optimus Prime and the Autobots. 

“If that is everything?” he asked Ultra Magnus.

He was about to dismiss the meeting when Ultra Magnus spoke up. “No that is not everything. We have been hearing of reports of the shadows attacking mainly the Decepticons who have been attacking neutrals and the wounded.” Ultra Magnus explained to them. He did not notice Optimus sitting up straighter in his chair. “The scouts have been sent out to see if they can locate this ‘Living Shadow’ as the frontliners of both factions have begun to call this thing.” He continued to explain to the commanders.

“And have the scouts found this ‘Living Shadow’?” asked Prowl looking to Jazz. It was his men who were mainly going in behind enemy lines. They were the mechs who found out more about the war than the others who fighting in the war.

“Nope. This thing moves fast. And by fast, I mean it’s there one moment and gone the very next.” Jazz explained to them. 

“So, what do we do about this living shadow?” Ironhide asked them.

Optimus was quite as he thought over the information that he had been given. The living shadow, it could only have been Nightshade. Even at a young age she had some control over the shadows but from the reports that he was looking over she now had much better control. There was nothing else that he could have thought of that had this amount of control over the shadows like her.

“It’s a weapon! A weapon that we can not allow to fall into Megatron’s hands! It must be destroyed!” Red Alert almost screamed at all of them. The horns on either side of his helm was sparking away as he thought of all the scary things that Megatron could do with a shadow. All the security breeches that could happen with that thing running about freely. He looked towards Optimus who was studying the Datapad in front of him. “Optimus we need to destroy this weapon before Megatron creates more of it! If he gets more of it or finds a way to control it, it is game over for us all. Just think of all the security breaches that will come from this thing.” he snapped at the Prime.

“That may not be the best thing to do Red.” Prowl stated as he looked towards the red and white security officer.

Red Alert turned to face Prowl. His blue optics wide as he studied the black and white tactician. “Are you insane Prowl? This thing is a weapon that should be destroyed before it can be used by Megatron. We should destroy it before he gets it or has his scientists copy it!” he almost screamed at Prowl.

“This thing doesn’t show up until the Decepticons attack neutrals or the retreating wounded. Maybe what we should do is bring it into the Autobot side. Officially” he said as he looked towards the other Autobot commanders. He ignored Red Alert’s argument about security breaches about letting the ‘living shadow’ into the base along with more neutrals into the base. Prowl did get along with Red Alert most of the time, but there was times like this time where he could not withstand Red Alerts paranoia. “It could help us bring an end to the war so much quicker.” Prowl stated in a matter-of-fact tone. He looked back towards Red Alert before he looked back towards Optimus Prime. “Prime I suggest that we find this ‘living shadow’ and ask it to aid us against Megatron before he can destroy any more of Cybertron.” he continued to speak with his idea.

Optimus looked towards Elita-One. She was looking towards him as she waited for him to make his decision. He looked back towards the rest of the Autobots commanders. He leaned back in his chair as he thought over what was the best course of action. He did not want to draw Nightshade into the war. He didn’t know what she had been involved in before coming back to Cybertron. He could get in contact with her through the sibling bond and ask her to come to Iacon to meet him. But since the last conversation that they had and before he was remade as Optimus Prime the sibling bond was weaker but it was still there.

He vented air through his vents. He stood up from his chair. “We find this shadow, but at the moment that is not the important thing that we need to worry about,” he said he saw that Red Alert was going to argue back towards him he raised his hand up to silence the security officer, “Our main concern is to get the neutrals out of harms way and get them safely within the walls of Iacon. I will keep Megatron busy as Elita-One and Jazz’s teams go in to get the neutrals out of there and back here.” He told them all. 

“Prime we are not allowing the neutrals to come here?” asked Red Alert shocked that he was suggesting what he was thinking of doing. “For all we know these neutrals are Decepticon spies that Megatron has released in hopes of getting inside this wall.” Red spat at Optimus. His paranoia was getting to him that he was forgetting that Optimus Prime had the final decision and he had already made up his decision. “And allowing this shadow thing into the base. Are you trying to get us all killed?!” he asked Optimus. He was glaring at the new Prime with bright blue optics.

Optimus looked back to Red Alert. “And what if they are really neutrals who are simple looking for refuge?” he asked the paranoid security chief. He then moved his attention to both Jazz and Elita. “Get your teams ready to roll out!” he ordered the two of them. He got up from his chair with his datapad in his hand before Red Alert could say anything. He then walked out of the meeting room with Ultra Magnus following after him.

Red Alert could only open and close his mouth as he watched the rest of the commanders left the meeting room. “Don’t come complaining to me when a Decepticon spy gets inside these walls and kills us all in our sleep!” Red Alert shouted after all of them. He mumbled under his breathe as Ironhide left the room without looking back towards him. He gathered his datapads and ran after Prowl. He hoped that the Paraxian would see the logic of what he was saying without the others there.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone, I just want to wish everyone here a Merry Christmas and happy holidays. I hope you are all save and healthy wherever you are in the world.


	11. Girl Power

The streets of Iacon had once been so filled with life. Before the war, Iacon had been the busiest city-state of Cybertron that had seen many Cybertronians going about their business. That had all changed when the war had broken out. The change had been so sudden that it just seemed that Iacon had always been a ghost town. Many Iaconians had joined sides with the Autobots in the early days of the war. Most of them had been noblemechs who suddenly found their whole world turned upside down. Other Iaconians had wanted to remain neutral and had been taken to the safe houses that were all across Cybertron with hopes that they would get off the planet and away from the war. The Iaconians hoped that the war would not last as long as it had already. They had thought that the Decepticons that had appeared from Kaon would surrender when a new Prime came and had tried to speak with Megatron a few times. The times that Optimus had arranged a meeting with Megatron the leader of the Decepticons he had been refused to see the Prime.

The other city states of Cybertron had hardly seen much change since the war had begun. It was only Kaon and Iacon that were seeing the heaviest conflicts of the war. The other city states had seen a few fights but that was nothing compared to what was happening in Iacon. They had welcomed refuges from Iacon and Kaon into their borders but that had been in the first few weeks of the war. Now the other city states were not allowing anymore refuges in their borders just encase they were sleeper agents from either factions.

A turbofox froze in its prowl through the deserted streets of the outer sectors of Iacon. Its paws hardly made any noise as it walked down the empty street. It stopped mid step when it heard a noise. It looked up as its ears perked out as it scanned for the source of the noise. Its yellow optics were bright in the dim light of the night cycle as it kept searching for the source of the noise.

Movement caught its attention. The movement was close to a wall of the building that it was hard for it catch the movement. It dropped low to the ground as it waited to see what was coming its way. It caught the movement again and this time it was much closer than the last time that it had seen it. Not wanting to get caught in a fire fight between the larger mechs it bolted into an alleyway just as the figure got closer.

Elita-One kept her back pressed against the wall as she crept about in the shadows. Her blaster was in her right hand as her left hand carried her Ion dagger as she led the way through the deserted darkened streets of outer districts of Iacon. She glanced across the wide street to see Jazz leading his team of Mirage and Hound. The visored mech looked towards her and nodded his helm for the two of them to continue.

Elita looked over her shoulder to see Chromia behind her. The light blue and silver femme was carrying her favourite rifle in both her hands. The rifle had been a gift from her own Sparkmate who had made the weapon with his own hands just as the war had begun. The two friends nodded their helms in a silent agreement before Elita was once again leading the four other femmes down the abandoned streets of Iacon. 

A few times they came across a turbofox, but the small beast Cybertronians were quick to get out of the femme’s way.

//Elita do ya here me?// asked Jazz over the comms system.

//I hear you Jazz. What is the situation on your side?// she asked the head of the special operations. She had stopped as she looked across the street towards the black and white from Vos. He had also stopped on his side of the street with Mirage standing in front of him with his blaster peeking into the alleyway where the turbofox had ran into when it had heard them approaching. Hound was standing behind Jazz and was scanning the way they had just come from. It was never good to be attacked from behind with who knows what was ahead of them.

//Old Hound here is detected a strange energy signal// Jazz explained to her. He nudged his helm towards Hound who made no motion to have heard that he was being called ‘old’ by the younger mech who was his commander in all the madness that was going on around them.

//Does he think that it is this shadow thing that was mentioned at the meeting?// she asked him but her optics were locked on Hound. The dark green mech was still looking down the road that they had just come. His rifle and the missile on his shoulder both ready to be fired when the Decepticons or the shadow made a move against them. There had been times when Decepticons had done sneak attacks on Autobot scout parties in Iacon that it was standard for someone to always be looking the way that they had just came from. She looked back towards Jazz as Moonracer took a position before her. The light green femme dropped to one knee as she aimed her snipper rifle into the dark street that was looming ahead of them.

//There is nothing else with this strange energy signature. Wait a minute old Hound is saying something, // Jazz continued to explain to her.

Elita kept watching the three mechs across the street, but her optics always looked up to the sky encase Seekers flew by and spotted them. She could see Hound and Jazz speaking to each other in the corner of her optics but she fully returned her attention to them. Hound was pointing back in direction that they had come from. He was quick to stop pointing and focus back on the visored mech that was leading him.

“Elita what in the name of Primus is going on?” Chromia asked Elita that brought her attention back to her second in command. She knew she shouldn’t have been but she had been listening closely to what Elita was saying on her side of her call with Jazz. Chromia had grabbed Elita by her and turned Optimus’s to be Sparkmate to face. “What is this about a shadow? Has the ‘cons got a new weapon?” she asked her friend.

Elita looked towards her friend and sighed. “The scouts have been reporting of seeing a shadow all over Iacon. The shadow has only attacked those who have been going after neutrals, especially the younglings. It also covers those who are getting the wounded out of the way.” Elita explained to her.

“Scrap! Is this thing going to attack us along with the ‘cons?” asked Moonracer speaking up for the first time. The young femme was not looking back around to see Elita or Chromia. Her blue optics were busy scanning the street in front of them. Her snipper ready to fire at anything that was bigger than a turbofox and had red optics.

“Not attack per say, but give warning shots until the neutrals get out of the way. Then it’s gone.” Elita explained to the other femmes. “So, the worst thing we can get is a little bit of sparks.” Elita explained to the others.

//Elita, Hound has detected Starscream’s Trine up ahead. It seems that the Seekers have gotten to the neutrals before us, but they are not making a move in taken the neutrals back to Kaon.// Jazz suddenly spoke up over the comm system that they were all sharing.

Elita looked back over the street to see that Jazz was looking over at her. //Scrap. We need to make our move now before those neutrals are shipped away and brainwashed by either Shockwave or Soundwave!// she growled back to Jazz.

//Understood. How are we going to pull it off? I mean the Seekers are good soldiers and they have the advantage of going to air. What have you got in plan?// he asked her from across the street. He was still looking over at her as asked what they were going to do.

Elita looked about herself as she thought over what they had on their side and how she could use it to their advantage in the fight against the Seekers. The five femmes in her team were the best femmes that she had under her command. Moonracer was one of the best snippers in the whole Autobot army, she was young and impulsive at the most of times but she was good at being the snipper of the team. Chromia like her Sparkmate, Ironhide was good with any weapon that she had been given along with her own fists. Firestar may have been snobbish with her skills but she was good at rescue missions such as these ones. It was one of the few reasons why Firestar was brought on them even though Elita knew that she was going to brag about it later, mainly to Inferno. Greenlight and Lancer were the two medics on the team. The two of them always seemed to be able to calm any distraught youngling down with an Energon cookie that came out from nowhere, but the entire squad knew that the two medics kept Energon cookies in their subspace.

Then Jazz had two other mechs with him. Jazz being the head of the special operations had skills that only a few other Autobots had. He always seemed to get whatever he was after without much problems coming from the Decepticons. Mirage with the ability to turn invisible was useful in the many missions that he took part in. Hound’s holograms were so real that it could even fool Soundwave without him doing a good scan of the hologram.

So that was eight highly trained and skilled Autobots against three Seekers, but not just any three Seekers. These three Seekers were the high commanders of the Decepticon air force. They commanded the sky with an iron fist in the name of Megatron. With the Seekers under his control, Megatron ruled the sky and that was bad news for the Autobots. The Autobots forces were mainly ground forces with only Powerglide and Jetfire being able to take to the air, but those two were not designed for combat like all the Seeker trines within the Decepticon ranks. They needed to be careful and plan what they were going to do. It was not just their lives at risk but there was also innocent neutrals.

She looked back towards Jazz and signalled for Jazz to get over to their side of the road. He nodded his helm before he gestured to Mirage and Hound to follow him. A second later the three mechs had silently made their way over to Elita’s side of the road. Chromia made way for Jazz to take up a position beside Elita.

Jazz made sure that both Mirage and Hound were pressed up against the wall of the building alongside Elita’s team. He waited until Hound and Mirage were settled with the femmes before he returned his attention back to Elita knowing that both of their teams were safe and in position. “What’s up, Elita?” he asked her.

Elita looked back at the visored saboteur. She did not know what Jazz had been doing before the war broke out, but she was glad when he joined the Autobots ranks alongside former Enforcer Sargent Prowl. He had skills that had already been put to good use in the war against the Decepticons and Megatron in the early months of the war. He had a great knowledge on hacking computer systems of both Autobots and Decepticons. This skill was what had made him the head of the Special operations within the Autobot ranks. His skill with computers also made him good at reinforcing the security in the computers so that mechs like Soundwave could not breach it without a fight. 

“We need to do a surprise attack on Starscream and his Trine. That way we can get the neutrals out of the way and back into the safety of the base. So, I suggest that we do this at the same time. That way the Seekers are too busy dealing with the attackers that they won’t have time to see that the neutrals are gone.” Elita explained.

“But how are we going to do that?” Chromia voiced up. “We may outnumber them but this is a Trine of Seekers. They are built and designed for warfare.” Chromia stated to both commanders. “Not only that but this is Starscream’s trine. They are the best of the best.”

“She does have a point there, Elita. Starscream may be arrogant but he was trained for warfare with the rest of his Trine. So, we will need to come up with a good plan, one that Starscream won’t see coming his way!” Jazz told Elita after a moment of silence.

Elita looked back to Jazz with a sly smile on her faceplates. She had an idea, and this idea was one that was no doubt going to dent Starscream’s already too large ego. “Oh, I have an idea Jazz. One that will make Starscream regret joining Megatron cause and for bragging too much!” Elita told the visored mech. She couldn’t help the mischievous glint that had appeared in her optic as she looked towards him.

“I don’t know what the plan is, and I am already scared for old ‘screamer.” Jazz whispered as he remained at his position between Elita and Chromia. 

“Well, chief what is it? What is this grand plan of yours?” Chromia asked her leader. She was getting angsty in waiting to hear what Elita was planning for the three Seekers who had taken great joy in attacking ground based Autobots mainly for the fun of it.

Elita looked back to her oldest friend. That smirk still there as she finished the final details of her plan. Satisfied with it she explained to the team of eight Autobots. “Jazz, I want your mechs to get the neutrals out of there and race back to Iacon as if Megatron is right behind you. Do not look back as you do so,” she explained to Jazz. 

She ignored the confused look that was on his faceplate as she turned her attention to Moonracer. “Moonracer?” she asked and gained the light green femmes’ attention. She only titled her helm slightly to the side to show Elita that she had heard her. “I want you to find the highest point and be a snipper. I want you to shoot at the Seekers as fast as you can.” she ordered the younger femme who nodded her helm in understanding before slinking off into the shadows to find the best place for her to be the snipper that Elita was looking for. 

Elita returned her attention back Chromia and the other femmes under her command. “For the rest of you, you are with me and we are going to keep Starscream, Skywarp and Thundercracker busy as Jazz and his team get the neutrals out of there.” she ordered the others. “But be carefully because as soon as we attack everything is going to go crazy. The Seekers will keep trying to get us so keep moving and the neutrals will be scared and will attempt to flee. This can cause them to get caught in the crossfire so be careful of where and who you are firing at.”

She got the responds from the team quickly after she gave them her plan. The Autobots were quick to get into position where they will wait for the signal to strike the Seekers. They could already hear Starscream bragging to the captured and scared neutrals. It was very quick that it was just her and Jazz who had remained in their position by the buildings wall. “Jazz do you feel like you are being watched?” she asked the visored mech. She was not looking at him instead at an alleyway across from where they had been positioned. The alleyway was dark and narrow that it prevented a mech about the size of Starscream or Soundwave for getting into it, but not one of Soundwave’s minions or a wild turbofox. The Cassetticons were already pests to the Autobots in getting into plans that they did not want getting into Megatron’s hands.

“What makes you say that Elita? We are after all in a warzone so maybe one of Soundwave’s pets are lurking about in the shadows like the little creeps that they are?” he asked shouting a little bit too loud as he looked into the dark alleyway.

He waited a second to hear any noises but when no sounds came from the alleyway, he looked back to Elita. “See? It’s just your mind playing tricks on you. It happens to the best of us out here in a warzone. Now let’s get going we have a group of neutrals to rescue.” Jazz said back to her. He transformed into his alternative mode and raced towards where the rest of the team was.

Elita was not quick to transform into her alternative mode. Instead she was still looking towards the dark alleyway that was making her nervous. She didn’t know why she was having the feeling that they were being watched. It may have been because there was scouts from both sides going about in this part of Iacon. They were also far away from any of the base entrances that were dotted all over Cybertron that if they needed backup or to fall back it would take some time. It could have been just that she was constantly alert and just waiting for a Decepticon spy to attack with no sudden warning. Being alert all the time was what saved lives. She kept looking into the alleyway in hopes that whatever was making her fell so uneasy would show itself to her now that she was alone. 

//I’m in position commander!// came Moonracer’s voice over the comm. system. The young snipper having found a good position already meant that the others were also already to make their move against Starscream and his Trine. She looked back towards the alleyway one more time before she transformed into her alternative form. She kept her engine as quite as she could as she drove to where Chromia was waiting for her.

In the alleyway two red optics glowed brightly as they followed Elita as she joined the rest of her team. The red optics then slipped back into the darkness of the shadows. 

Elita transformed beside Chromia and looked at her friend. “Is everything alright Elita?” Chromia asked her when she brought her blaster out of her subspace and aim the weapon at Skywarp. The purple Seeker was laughing at a joke he had no doubt told to a young mech who was just staring at up at the seeker with his bright blue optics. The yellow youngling tried to get away but found Skywarp in front of him once again.

“Aw you aren’t thinking of leaving little mech?” asked Skywarp.

The young yellow minibot took a step back away from the teleporter Seeker. His optics bright and fearful as he looked up at the towering Seeker above him. “My creators told me to never talk to a strange bot.” the young mech told Skywarp.

Skywarp growled and his afterburners revved in anger. Beside him his Trine mate, Thundercracker snorted back a laugh. Skywarp glared at him his ruby red optics glowing brightly in anger and annoyance that this small mech was not scared of him. It was only made worse when Thundercracker said, “He has a point. Remember when our creators told us to never speak to a strange bot. Especially if they are offering Energon candy.”

Skywarp turned his full attention to his brother. “Whose side are you on? Mine or this groundpounder?” he asked pointing towards the young minibot who stepped back in fear. He was not moving his optics away from the two Seekers.

“At the moment his. After all he did get you to be quite for at least a moment.” Thundercracker responded back to his trine mate. He stepped to side and avoided a fist to his faceplate, but it smacked his wing instead. “Ah, did I hurt your feelings little brother?” Thundercracker laughed at Skywarp as he kept dodging the purple mechs fists that were close to hitting him.

“Shut up the pair of you!” growled Starscream. The older trine brother was looking at his younger brothers. His red optics narrowed as he glared at them with annoyance. He still had his arm that his null ray aimed at an old mech who had refused to hand the group of neutrals over to the Decepticons. Seeing them calm down he returned his attention back to the old mech. “Reconsider my offer, old timer. I am not repeating it again. You will all be rewarded for the services that you give to the Decepticon cause.” he said to the old mech.

The old mech who was a dull green almost grey colour snorted back to Starscream. “You and Megatron may say that you are building a new Cybertron. But this has happened before, and we will soon return to how Cybertron was before this Primus awful war. The only difference will be that Megatron will be sitting on a throne of his own making. He will get rid of everything that has marked the past of Cybertron’s history to prevent someone from looking to the past. I am not handing these young to the likes of you.” the old mech snapped towards Starscream.

Starscream growled in annoyance and powered up his null ray at the old mech. The Cybertronians who were standing behind the old mech gasped in fright at seeing the weapon powering up. They had thought that it was just for show and that Starscream was not going to shoot a mech who had was not a threat to him.

“Go on Seeker! I am not afraid of you. I have faced down Quintessons and Sharkticons for the freedom of all of Cybertron. I have fought alongside Primes of old and Drakeians. So, I am not afraid of a cowardly Seeker who is going to shot on an old mech like me and a group of younglings and femmes!” the old mech snapped at Starscream.

In her high vantage point Moonracer was watching the whole thing. She got the signal from Elita that she was ready, and she was just waiting for the right moment. The right moment came when Starscream was about to fire on the old mech. With her rifle ready she aimed it at Starscream’s wing. Seeker wings were as sensitive as Paraxian door-wings. The perfect target for a snipper to hit. Without hesitation Moonracer fired at Starscream.

Starscream let out a loud scream of pain and shot his null ray off in the direction of the snipper. He missed Moonracer who had ducked behind the balcony wall of the floor that she was on. She heard the blast hitting the wall just inches away from her helm but paid it no mind. She had a job to do and there was no point in getting worried about getting hit. This was after all a warzone that she was in. The others needed her to keep a level head in order to get back to base once this was all finished.

“Are you alright-“ Skywarp did not have time to finish his question when the other femmes leapt out of their hiding spots and launched an attack that the three Seekers were not ready for. He and Thundercracker fired back with their weapons but the femmes being smaller were faster than them and they always got out of the way. It also did not help that there was a snipper who was firing at them. “Argh! Where is that blasted snipper?” Skywarp snapped as he received a laser blast in his faceplate. He looked towards Thundercracker to see him firing at Chromia who was smiling and laughing at the whole thing.

“I don’t know! These slaggers are everywhere!” Thundercracker snapped back to him. He fired a rocket to Chromia, but she was already away from the last place that she had been to a moment ago.

Starscream snarled as he was under fire by Elita. The pink femme commander had become notorious in the Decepticon ranks. She was a commander who was just as good as either Optimus Prime or Ultra Magnus in leading her units. Unlike those two she used guerrilla tactics in getting her task completed. This made her almost as feared as the Prime himself and also one of the other commanders that Megatron wanted captured alive at all costs.

“Why don’t you stand still Elita-One! Megatron will treat you and these Cybertronians with fairness!” Starscream rasped as he fired a laser at her.

Elita transformed into her alternative mode and drove as fast as she could to get away from the laser fire that was coming her way. She drove closer to Starscream and was a good distance away from him that she transformed back into her root mode. Placing her feet flatly on the ground she got herself into a battle stance. Her blue optics narrowed as she looked towards Starscream. “Don’t flatter yourself with such lies, Starscream! I know what Megatron is really like!” she snapped back at him.

Before Starscream had time to think of a response Elita fired her blaster at his faceplates. Starscream roared in pain and this attracted the attention of his trine mates and the other femmes in the street where this fight was happening. Starscream glared towards Elita. His ruby optics glowing brightly in rage as he looked towards the femme commander who had just shot him. “You dare shot me in my faceplates, wrench! Do you not know who I am?” Starscream snapped at Elita.

Elita shouldered her blaster over her shoulder and smirked at him. “Oh I know who you really are Starscream! A weakling who allowed a bunch of femmes to not only beat you in combat but also allow the neutrals to get away!” Elita replied back to Starscream.

Starscream looked around to see that the neutrals that had been there before the femmes had attacked were gone. He looked back at Elita and growled at her as his anger got the better of him. All around him the femmes laughed. Some of them were trying to cover their laugh by snorting it back or covering their faces, this was mainly Chromia. The others were laughing uncontrollable and it only got worse when Skywarp also started to laugh at his trine brother. He stopped when Thundercracker glared at him.

“You think you are so smart, but you are wrong. You have just made a big mistake in angering me: Starscream!” he snarled at her. He raised his null ray towards Elita. The weapon that made him feared like Megatron with his plasma canon powered up. Elita raised her blaster and powered it up but she was not fast enough. Starscream fired his null ray a second faster than Elita fired her own blaster.

Elita was suddenly pushed to the ground by a force from behind her. She staggered from the force of the push. She found her balance before she faceplanted onto the ground. She looked up to see that everyone was staring at something. Following their glances, she saw what had pushed her. Standing on four feet was Nightshade. Elita looked from the sharp five claws on all four paws to the long narrow wings that were spread as wide as they could. She then looked at the optics of Nightshade. They were red like the seekers, but unlike them they were not filled with hatred just annoyance.

“What the heck is that thing?” Skywarp asked. His optics wide as he looked at Nightshade.

“I don’t know. I have never seen anything like that before.” Thundercracker responded. He did not remove his optics from Nightshade as he took a step backwards.

“I don’t care what it is. That is the thing that has been attacking all Decepticons!” Starscream snapped just before he fired at Nightshade.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hi everyone. I want to thank you all for reading the story so far. I am thankful that you have been following it. I am just writing this A/N to let you know that I will not be updating this story on this side of the new year but I will be back to it next month. I just have a few other projects that I want to get started before I carry on with this one.
> 
> So please don't forget to stay healthy and happy into the new year. Lets hope that 2021 is a better year than this year.


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